Ridiculous Black Drum...

So in my endless attempt to become a better fisherman and learn the Tampa waters, I've been lurking on some fishing forums and trying to hunt down some people that know the area better than I do. I've been getting more in to "flipping" artificials under docks and I really like it. Just seems to be more productive working say 50 docks in an hour with a trolling motor as opposed to maybe 2 spots with live bait in a "hole."

So I found a guy (Kevin) who fishes the area a lot and said he could show me some really productive docks etc. We headed out yesterday (Sunday), picked up some live bait (as backup) and we decided to hit a couple docks I like to frequent first since they were close to the ramp. Kevin had about 5 missed hits but I pulled in a 24" Snook which was nice. We tried one more spot where we caught some small snapper and a HUGE Jack Crevalle but that was it so we headed towards north tampa (by the howard franklin bridge) to hit one of his spots.

On the way over... we saw a group of about 4 boats fishing in the middle of the main channel about 500yds from the main bridge opening (that I had to go through). They were fishing "something" but I had to run through them to make it under the bridge. As we passed them... one of the guys in the other boat raised his hands up (clearly I thought he was mad at us) but Kevin realized he was actually "waving us over" to fish the pod of "whatever" they were on. When we passed it looked like Tarpon.

When we pulled up it was actually a pod of HUGE migrating Black Drum. The other boats said to throw an artificial grub jig at them and so.... that's what we did.

2 hrs and 4 25lb or better fish later... we called it a day. The biggest fish (the one I'm holding below) is easily 50lbs. My 30lb Boga Grips (Fishing plier thingy's that have a scale on them) were maxed out and we didn't even have him halfway out of the water. I caught an 80lb Tarpon a few years ago that took about 25 minutes to land with a big rod and 100lb braided line. This 50 pounder was a MUCH longer fight since we were only using 7ft medium action rods with 10lb power pro line. Needless to say... it was CRAZY.

What an Amazing Day!!

This afternoon was one of the best days of our life - we got to see Trey via a 4-D sonogram. The technology is absolutely amazing and as you can see from the pictures we now have an idea what our little boy looks like. He has his fathers eyes for sure and his toes (the second toe is much bigger than his big toe). We think he is going to have his Mom's chubby cheeks. The sonogram tech, Rhonda (who was awesome and took so much time with us), told us that Trey was one of the best babies she has had and that he was clearly posing for the camera. He is estimated to weigh about 3 pounds, 11 ounces right now and he is measuring a week early (which would mean a delivery date of May 31). During the sonogram he breathed in a few breaths, opened his eyes, yawned and smiled at the sound of Mom's voice. It was such an amazing experience and Mom and Dad cannot wait to meet their little boy!! I have posted tons of pictures because I am still so in awe of the whole thing.

I love this one as he almost looks like he is praying and you can see his face, both hands and some toes.

He loved to put his fist to his face.


There is a yawn - how sweet is that!!

Look at that handsome profile.

A picture of his boy parts (no question there :o))

A Sad Day!!

It was a sad day when we found out about a year ago that our huge oak tree (figured to be at least 75 years old) was dying due to old age. We put off having it removed for as long as possible but lately Mommy to Be had been having nightmares that the tree fell in on the nursery so it was time to take action. This past week the tree guys came to remove her. Below are a few pictures of the process which according to Jimmy was pretty amazing. Now we have an empty space in our side yard and I am missing my tree.

Easter

Although not quite on Easter, this past Saturday Jimmy and Dad Ellis went fishing and Mom Ellis and I went shopping for Baby Trey. Although they got rained out the boys had a great time and caught a few fish. The girls bought the drapes for the nursery and a few other things (Trey is spoiled already).

New Hampshire

Although for a sad reason, my grandfather's passing, we made the trek to New Hampshire in early March to attend the funeral and spend time with family. Although it was an emotional weekend it was so nice to get to see the family as it is not often that all of the Fredricks get together.

Angie and Tim's Farmhouse - look at all that snow!! Angie and Tim were so gracious and let Jimmy and I crash with them.

The Fredrick Men - Joe, Ben, Micah, Rory, Dylan, Dad and Uncle Norman

Jimmy with Vivi, Malia and Bailey (all of the girls could not wait to play with Jimmy)

Best Buds - Jimmy and Rory

The whole family at lunch - I think we figured out that we were 30 and a half (counting the baby on the way :o))

The girls having fun - Tori, Vivi, Bobbi and Bailey

Grammie, Uncle Norman, Aunt Martha, Rory, Dylan and Kim

Jimmy getting his practice in for being a Daddy - Mr. Dylan and his always cute pictures :o)

It's a......

Boy!!!

Mom and Dad could not be more thrilled!! James Edward Ellis, III (Trey) will be making us a family of three in just a few short months. I have been so blessed to have had an easy pregnancy up to this point and I am loving every minute of it. Trey kicks me on a regular basis and lets me know that he is a happy boy having fun. He especially likes it when I eat grapes. We have ordered his nursery furniture and cannot wait to get the room painted and ready for his arrival.

Visiting Rhode Island

The weekend of January 25, Jimmy and I flew up to see Eric and Allison in Rhode Island. We were greeted by 16 degree weather. We spent Saturday visiting one of the mansions in Newport. Sunday it snowed all day and so we stayed inside and just hung out and watched movies. Jimmy and I were glad to return to Florida and 70 degree weather.

A warm welcome
The view from Eric and Allison's with snow on the ground

Christmas with Dylan

We were fortunate this year that Rory, Kim and Dylan got to come down in January to celebrate a late Christmas. We had a great time hanging out and watching Dylan open his Christmas presents.

Dylan with his new Alligator
Courtney and Chris came over for dinner one night - here is us with our bellies

Christmas 2007

Christmas this year was all about Baby Ellis being spoiled already (a gator stroller, clothes, toys, you name it). It was such a wonderful time to be with family and to be looking forward to next year when there will be a six month old in the house.

Daisy under the Tree

Thanksgiving in Virginia

Well after getting back from California on Saturday, we then packed our bags again to head to Virginia on Thanksgiving morning. We arrived at Rory and Kim's just in time for turkey (thanks to them for cooking the whole excellent meal). It was so nice to be able to spend the holiday with Rory, Kim and Dylan as with them being so far away family time is few and far between.

The next day we got up and Rory took us on a tour of his carrier, the USS George Washington. I cannot even begin to explain how impressed I was with the ship. I knew that it was going to be big but I had no idea how big. Although on the opposite scale the bunk that Rory sleeps in is perhaps the smallest thing I have ever seen. I would explain it as sleeping in a coffin. At the end I was even more proud of my brother and what he does for our country.

The next day we went to Williamsburg and just walked around and saw the sights. It was a lot different than I remembered as a little kid when I thought it was much more impressive but the history of it was still interesting. Dylan enjoyed being outside and looked so cute in his hat :o)

The rest of the time we just hung out and ate (what we always do well together). The Florida/FSU game was that weekend so we watched the gator game together while grilling out. When Monday morning rolled around none of us wanted to leave.

Touring Wine Country

Although perhaps bad timing given my pregnant state, Jimmy and I took a trip to San Francisco and Napa with my parents and four of their best friends, Scott and Brenda Ferris and Peter and Brenda Drottar in November. Despite the fact that I was the designated driver all week it was a great time!!

Mom, Dad, Jimmy and I left Tampa on Thursday, November 8 for San Francisco. We took an early morning flight thinking that we would get into San Fran and still have most of the day to play around. Unfortunately we underestimated the long plane flights (with no food) and the San Francisco airport which takes forever when you are renting a car. By the time we made it to our hotel Dad and I were so grumpy from lack of food that I am amazed Mom and Jimmy could put up with us. We quickly headed out to find food and ate at a little place on the Wharf called Pompei's Grotto. We then went to see the Sea Lions at Pier 39 and just wandered around until it was time for the complimenary wine hour at our hotel. After Dad and Jimmy had a few glasses of wine, I am sad to say that we went up to our room and I think we were all fast asleep by 8:00 San Fran time.

Our Hotel in San Fran - The Argonaut (the nautical theme was perfect for Dad)

The Sea Lions at Pier 39 (they were so loud and amusing to watch)

On Friday morning we got up, ate breakfast at a cute little restaurant in our hotel called the Blue Mermaid, and headed to the pier to board a ferry for Alcatrez Island. It was such an awesome experience to be able to see such a piece of history. We spent several hours touring the island and the cell block. The views looking back at the city were amazing.

Alcatrez Island

The Cell Block

Mom, Dad and Jimmy with the city in the background

Looking back at the city skyline

That afternoon we did some shopping, visited the temporary location of the Maritime Museum and hit up the Ghiradelli chocolate store at Ghiradelli Square. That night we met up with a friend from high school, Matt Spuller, who lives in San Fran and we all had dinner at an Italian restaurant called Cioppinos where Matt had eaten before.

On Saturday morning Pete and Brenda joined the group and after eating breakfast at Boudins, we piled into the mini-van (quite the sight with six of us and all of our luggage) and we headed for Napa. On the way we made Dad drive the van down the steepest and curviest street I have ever been on (Lombard Street), we stopped to see the Golden Gate Bridge and also made a stop at Muir Woods to see the redwoods. It was a rainy day so all of the sightseeing was a little less thrilling but amazing none the less.

After eating lunch at a little pizzeria, we arrived at the house that we had rented in Glen Ellen. The house was more than we ever could have imagined, four bedrooms, four baths at the top of the mountain. The drive up to the place was a little scary but the view was worth it. That night we sent the boys to the grocery store and just ate in and relaxed.

The Living Room looking out on the back porch

The view from the house

On Sunday we got up and headed to the Benzinger Family Winery in Sonoma. The tour for this winery is given on a tram pulled by a tractor and it was amazing to see the whole process of wine making, in particular the underground caves in which a lot of the wineries store their wine barrels. From there we went into downtown Sonoma and ate lunch at the Swiss Hotel. After that it was time for more wine tasting and so we headed to Domaine Chandon and Buena Vista Carneros. Buena Vista was an awesome old school winery with a lot of history and a beautiful setting. At that point the wine drinkers had decided they had enough to drink for the day and we headed back to the house where we met up with Scott and Brenda who arrived that evening.

The Tram

The Benzinger Vineyards

On Monday I had set up a private tour for us at Hess Collection so we headed back down the twisty road. The eight of us piled into a mini-van made for six adults and these arrangements served as comic relief for the group all week long. At Hess we toured the facilities and got to taste wines in the barrel room. Mom and I checked out the private art collection while the wine drinkers did some further tasting in the tasting room. From there we stopped and ate lunch at the Napa Valley Grille before heading for another private tasting at Stags Leap. The tasting at Stags Leap was according to the drinkers very good but noone went home with a bottle as the prices ranged from $100-$200 a bottle. From there we went on to taste at Clos du Val and Pine Ridge. Mom and I shopped the gift shops and then wandered the grounds as the wineries in the Stags Leap District are gorgeous.

Jimmy and I at Hess

The gates at Pine Ridge

One of the vines at Pine Ridge

On Tuesday we headed north to Healdsburg where we intended to visit Chateau Soverain (one of Dad and Jimmy's favorite wines). We discovered that the winery had been sold to Francis Coppola so we had to go in search of the new location for Chateau Soverain in downtown Healdsburg. Again while the wine drinkers drank, Mom and I wandered the little shops. We then headed back to Coppola's Rosso and Bianco as the winery was amazing and we sat out on the terrace and had lunch overlooking the vineyards. I think if we could have we all would have stayed in that spot all week long. After lunch we headed for a private tour and tasting at Silver Oak that Pete and Brenda had set up for us. I always wondered if expensive wines really do taste that much better but after seeing the difference in the process at Silver Oak vs. some of the other wineries I see why they charge more. From there we headed to the west and took a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. We got out at a lookout point and climbed down to the beach so that we could all put our feet into the Pacific Ocean (it was pretty cold :o)). We then ate dinner at the Tides Wharf & Restaurant where we could see seals playing in the water.

The old Chateau Soverain - the new Coppola

Eating lunch on the terrace

The Pacific Coast

Scott putting his feet in the Pacific Ocean

On Wednesday we headed to St. Helena and visited Robert Mondavi, Franciscan and Louig M. Martini. At Franciscan Mom and I got a tour of the facilities and they were gorgeous - if only we were important enough to be invited to some of the functions in the dining rooms they have for private events. We then ate lunch at Greystone and the food was delicious. From there we went for another private tour and tasting at Merryvale where one of the owners himself took us around the facilities.

The Mondavi Vineyard

The wine snobs at Mondavi

Franciscan

The tasting glasses at Louis M. Martini

On Thursday we headed to Calistoga and searched high and low for the Schramsberg vineyards (which due to a one lane road heading up the mountain were not easy to find). However we are glad that we persisted as this winery tour was I think everyones favorite of the week. Schramsberg only makes sparkling wines and stores them individually in bottles in miles and miles of caves handdug by chineses laborers back in the early 1900's. Our tour guide at this winery was hilarious (he is a comedian in San Fran on the weekends). Everyone is now hooked on Schramsberg. We tehn went to the Hydro Grill in Calistoga for lunch followed by dessert at the Calistoga Creamery and Bakery. We then went to watch one of the Old Faithful Geyser's erupt (a long wait but pretty cool once you saw it). Afterwards we headed to Sterling Vineyards and took the arial tram up the mountain to the winery.

The frog is Schramsberg's symbol

The caves at Schramsberg

The Old Faithful

Sterling Vineyards

The tram at Sterling

On Friday we headed to Cakebread for a tour and tasting based on the recommendation of Matt Spuller. Everyone enjoyed this tour and the wines they tasted. From there Mom and I took off in a separate car (we just could not watch any more tastings) and headed to downtown Napa, one for some shopping and two to find a shipping place to mail home all of the bottles of wine that had been purchased throughout the week. We ate lunch at the Napa General Store and then shopped to our little hearts content. While we were shopping the rest of the gang visited Franciscan again (Dad and Jimmy do love that wine), Jessup and Silverado. We then all met back up at the house for our last night together for it was time to head home the next morning.

Cakebread

After that trip Jimmy and Dad have officially become wine snobs and we are all planning our next trip out to wine country (preferably at a time when I am not pregnant :o)).