03/26/27 Trip to Italy, Day 3, Thursday, Venice

Kevin and Becky on the Gondola

We took the water taxi to the area by the gondola ride. We found a cafe that had yummy cinnamon rolls and pastries. (Becky needed to use the bathroom. It costs $1.50 euros OR you can buy something and use it for free! haha)

Shelly and Andy on the Gondola

We took a 30 minute ride gondola ride at 11 a.m. We got in the gondola and I was going to help Andy to get in...but they wouldn't let me. Somehow he made it in without tipping over! They sat him on a little stool on one side of the boat so he felt a little off center the whole time. Becky LOVED it! It was really cool to ride around and see the buildings and scenery. After the ride we walked around a little while.

We found a restaurant and ate lunch outside on the patio. It was cold but they had heaters. We had pizza and lasagna.

After lunch and walking around we went for our tour of Doges Palace and Prison, the Bridge of Sighs and St Marks.

We took the water taxi back and it was so crowded!!! They sardined so many people into the boat!!!

Andy on the bridge

We found a fancy restaurant and had more pizza and meat and penne pasta. After dinner we went to the grocery store and got done some things for breakfast and a gelato.

Bridge over the canal in Venice

Water Taxi scenery

Gondola going down an alley

Shelly and Andy in Venice

Another yummy pizza

Meat Penne

Yet another pizza

Spaghetti

Smoked Ravioli
So delicious!

Venice at night

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08/23/25 Organ

The Washington First Ward Building was sold to the City of Washington. Part of my responsibilities included dispensing of the organ and pianos in the building (along with other things). It is an Allen, approximately 1970s. I put the organ up on the auction. There were a couple of other people that were bidding on it, but I ultimately won the bid (for under $100). On the day I won the bid I was able to arrange a mover!!! I paid $250 to have someone from the piano store move it to our house (I have no idea how he managed to get that into the back bedroom....but he did it!!!) Then, it wouldn't work. 😭 I waited for approximately 6 weeks before a guy (who had to be 80 years old) came down from SLC and repaired the organ. (So the organ wasn't actually broken, it had to do with the electricity and the house talking nicely to one another.) It took him a couple of hours to figure it out. He charged about $200 and voila! I have a working church organ. Cool, eh? Now, I got...

03/28/26 Trip to Italy, Day 5, Saturday, Florence

We stopped at a local restaurant and got some breakfast tarts and then went to the Academia and saw the statue of David and had a tour. We returned to the same Restaurant and had panini sandwiches for lunch. Then we went to the Uffizi Museum for another tour. We had yummy gelato and took a rest for a while. We walked through the leather market and to a cool bridge. We walked around the city awhile into we came to a restaurant that was super cute and we ate outside. We had ravioli and pizza. We walked a bit more after dinner and then came back and played games. Academia Statue of David A bum shot Kevin and a cello One of the first pianos ever Early pianos Art in the Uffuzi The ceilings! Art in the Uffuzi Art in the Uffuzi Bridge of Sighs, Florence Shelly in the Bridge Florence Florence Andy and Shelly in the Uffuzi Art in the Uffuzi Florence Florence Trash bins in Florence Restaurant in Florence Outside in the street...so quaint! Restaurant in Florence Restaurant ...

06/27/25 Drew Ellerman's Retirement Party

Steve Whittekiend, Kelly Carlson in front Mayor Kress Staheli in back Thad Seegmiller back of head Police Chief Jason Williams, Councilman Troy Belliston Jordan Hess, Councilman Bret Henderson, Finance Brian Brown Mayor Kress Staheli and Councilman Craig Coats Danice Bulloch (former City Recorder), Shelly Griffin Hana Park and Tara Pentz (current recorders) April and Drew Ellerman April & Drew Ellerman, Kathy Spring (former assistant to Drew) Bonnie Baker (current assistant) and Drew Drew

Griffin Family

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