Ready!

There was a buzz of excitement this morning as we got ready to take
Steve to launch. Here is Sophia & Louie playing in the bed. We'd love
to say the first thing she looks for is us...but it's so not!
She looks for Louie!

VOTE!

Ok...so blog readers this is a shameless plea for votes on the main page of bassmaster.com.

If you go to the site scroll down on the right hand side is a survey poll.

It asks "who you would want as your guide in Alabama?"

I won't sway anyone one way or the other...

vote for who you think you would want to fish with.

Happy voting!

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/index

Day Two Trip to the Scales

Steve did really well today with a bag that weighed

26-14 for a two day total of 44-7.

He jumped from 52nd place all the way up to 10th.

The Anchor and the smallmouth
Talking with Aaron about his fish

Weighing them in with Keith & Trip

Sophia watched all the action on the big screen!

Cracked me up!
The stage is to her right...he's standing closer that way,

but she is mesmerized by the big screen!

Here's a token cute baby shot to end with...

Sophia got a new toy this week.

I love the classic toys.

No lights, no beeps, no flash.

She just plays with it!

This Morning

The smaller half of Team Kennedy was not ready

to roll right away. I let them get a few extra Zzz.
I was still cooking breakfast while Steve and Soso
did a little map review. Sophia isn't awake yet in this photo.

Still a little sleepy, but bright eyed

Out of nowhere comes the knee slapping joke

that only she can hear. She bust out laughing!

Starts banging on the table while laughing

Then, it's back to game face and work.
Notice...Steve never flinched.

That's focus.

The sunrise this morning was absent an important

part of the whole deal...the sun.
Here is the same spot and shot as yesterday,

only with cloudy rain blah.

The breakfast club met this morning at the "Lakefront Grill".

Yet another misnomer...but the food was hit the spot good,

so I'll let it slide.

The group is bass wives(and honorary bass wives) Steve M, DB, Kerry,

Tammy, Norma, Julie(& Jackson), Becky, and Meagan

for this morning.

We always find the off the path greasy spoon local hot spot.

It's always an experience.

There were four tables...seating for eight.

The entire place was as wide as the window and door in the photo.

Inside, the tables were all on the right hand side up against the wall.

I don't remember seeing bathrooms...

Sophia like the frig that was by our table and the black with

rather large white flowers wallpaper.

There was one lady who was waitress, cook, busboy, and dishwasher.

If the register shorted out, I image she's the electrician...

Sink leaks, she's the plumber.

I would have taken an inside shot...but there wasn't room to hold

up a camera in there with all the bodies!

It was perfect.

(even if it should have been named "back of gas station grill"

or "Small Pool view Grill" or "Motel View Grill")

Weigh Time

Steve eating a sandwich after checking in...

he's got a bag tucked under his arm.

The universal symbol for 'got at least one fish'.

Notice how dark the sky is...

it's only 4:30 in the afternoon too.

Standing in line backstage at the tanks

talking with KJ
Out of focus...lot of water and humidity involved
here...Soso and her daddy after he weighed!

There are two little gas stations between the ramp

and where most guys are staying.

I wonder what the average observer must think

seeing all the Elite rigs pull up!

Like ants on a stepped on mound the trucks and boats

swamped the gas stations.

Action From the Water

Steve donated his phone to the lake...

so yesterday Sophia and I bought an early father's day gift.

It was a newer version of the same waterproof phone

that now lays in 40 foot of Kentucky Lake.

It should work if anyone bothers to find it in the next couple of days.

The new phone has a better camera on it to give us shots like this one!

It's also ORANGE! War Eagle.

Steve hooked his two biggest fish on one cast!

Nice 4lb bookends!

Better than the ones in practice!

We finished 52nd today with 17-9.

Great thing is we get a chance to get 'em again tomorrow!

Exploring Paris!

Sophia and I drove around

Paris today,

in search of the Eiffel Tower!

As usual, my little sidekick was game

even if it was Paris, Tennessee...

and a 60 ft tall replica of the tower.

We found this sign...good to know info,
if you like fried fish.

HA! I knew there were cell towers here...
just not enough AT&T.

(Photo of wildlife for my brother Mark)
There are apparently skunks in Paris...
GASP...it's Pepe Le Pew!
Guess Penelope Pussycat has to worry no more...
a moment of silence please.

Nice signs like this are at EVERY road leading into town.
When you're driving around looking for places,
they almost seem to mock you...
"Missed it idiot. You're out of Paris. Turn around!"

At last!

There she is the Eiffel Tower

in all its' metal glory.

Man made spectacular...scale replica!

Probably shouldn't show this view...

playground looks bigger than the tower.

Sophia and I in Paris(TN) at the base of the Eiffel Tower!

(You can really see her pretty brown eyes

really well in this photo.)

After sharing the amazement of seeing the tower...
we hit the playground swings.
Once again she had a fun giggling time swinging!
Cool park with a tremendous playground.