August 22, 2025 - September 5, 2025 New Chair Project - New Bypass Valves for Homer - Gray Water Valve Leak - Campout

My Blog Reflection

I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.

Daniel Boone

August 22, 2025:

Last evening Kelly and I were sitting on the deck (now that it has cooled down a little) enjoying an adult beverage, when my chair seat ripped. I have to admit it took some effort to get out of the hole. LOL

On our deck we have two of these very well-made chairs that we use all of the time. They were part of the contents of Ron's condo in Florida which we bought from his estate. They have served us well but they are now about 15 years old. Everything else about the chairs is in wonderful shape. I replaced the springs a couple of summers ago. I got online to find out about replacing the fabric. The chair fabric is custom made to the exact size of each chair. Thus new material is not cheap. I watched a video and it doesn't look difficult to replace the material so I ordered a new one for each chair, along with all new plastic end caps to keep bugs and water out. All of the plastic caps are rotten and just break off when you pry on them. (Did I mention I hate plastic parts?) The replacement material should be here in two-three weeks. I'll report back on the installation.

August 26, 2025:

Once again I have to get blood drawn for the cancer institute study. Luckily, for a change, I can get it drawn in Perryville and I do not have to drive to St. Louis. Kelly also has to get blood drawn in Ste. Genevieve today. 

After our blood draws we brought Homer to the house to fix a few items and get him prepared for a our next camping trip. 

Homer Project:

The major Homer project was to replace the winterizing bypass kit for the water heater. All RVs have a winterizing kit installed the purpose of which is to allow you to avoid having to fill the entire water heater tank with RV antifreeze when you drain all the water to winterize the water system for the winter.

I never had any problem with the bypass kit in Homer until last fall. Homer's kit only had one valve on the cold water line. By closing it the antifreeze does not enter the tank through the cold water line. Last year when I winterized Homer I had to add multiple gallons of RV antifreeze. The reason was that the RV antifreeze was back flowing into the tank through the hot water line. It is not supposed to do that. My assumption was that somewhere in the system there is a check valve on the hot water line which is designed to keep the water (or in the case the antifreeze) from back flowing into the tank. This check valve obviously had malfunctioned.

The water heater, and all of the plumbing for it, is located in the bathroom on the floor behind a cabinet door about fourteen inches by twelve inches. Here is a picture of the door.

As you can imagine, there is not a lot of room to work. To make the job easier I removed the cabinet door to get it totally out of the way. 

Here is what the original bypass kit looked like. The arrow points to the one valve on the bottom inlet to the tank. I found no manual valve, nor check valve, on the top (hot water) line. This surprised me. The curled white hose is to bypass the water from going into the tank.

The new bypass kit has a valve for the top (hot) water line and a valve for the bottom (cold) water line. In the picture the yellow arrows point to the black handle of each valve on the new kit. The clear, u-shaped garden hose is the bypass line.

The old valve was much better quality than the new ones. It was all metal no plastic. But being old it leaked a little when turned from one position to the other. So to the recycle bin it goes.

While the new valves have black plastic handles, surely they will outlast me. When each valve is closed the water will circle from the bottom cold water line to the hot water line through the bypass hose, thus keeping all antifreeze out of the hot water tank. Yippee!

I always cringe at working on 30 year old plumbing, particularly when working in very tight areas. Fortunately there were no leaks on my install. However, the plastic outside tank drain leaked. I pulled it out and put in a new plastic one using lots of Teflon tape around it. No leak there anymore either. These plastic plugs are so durable and trustworthy that they come in a package of FIVE.   

Everything is dry as a bone in the water heater access area on the outside of Homer.

After all leaks were addressed I turned on the water heater to make sure it made hot water and there still were no leaks. I then hooked the electric up, closed the fridge, and turned it on to make sure it is good to go on electric for our trip.

August 30, 2025:

The last time I dumped the waste water holding tanks I noticed that the 1 1/2 inch gray water valve, when opened, leaked. I didn't explore the leak at the time but did today. The valve itself is an easy replacement. Four bolts hold the valve in a bracket that has a sewer pipe connection on each side. A rubber o-ring on each side of the valve case makes a tight seal. You simply take the four bolts out and the valve itself slides out. 

In looking at this area I do not believe this valve has ever been replaced. I assumed the rubber seals had deteriorated and thus the leak. Before ordering a new one I put water in the tank, emptied it, and to my surprise, the valve was not leaking but rather the fitting on the valve mounting bracket. The leak was on the side of the bracket leading to the drain pipe. The other side of the valve mount connects directly to the gray water holding tank and is was covered up with foam insulation at the factory. Here is a picture. The yellow arrow points to the holding tank fitting that is covered with foam from the factory.

Properly repairing this leak will be a major project because the valve mount is glued in into the pipes. It will have to be cut out with care and the glue removed from the pipes before a new one can be installed. 

Since there is no pressure in the pipe when the water is drained, I decided to attempt a quick repair by putting silicone around the leaking fitting. In the picture below the top arrow points to the valve assembly itself, which is held in the mounting bracket by four bolts. To the left of the valve is the clear silicone caulk I spread all away around the fitting in the hope that it will seal it. The bottom arrow points to the silicone caulk.

I don't know if this repair will hold but the silicone I purchased is for windows and doors so it is made for outdoor use. I have my fingers crossed.  

August 31, 2025:

Today we went to Buchheit's General Store looking for a few items. I noticed this display as we entered - 55 gallon drums for sale for $27.99. I remember when they were gladly given away once emptied.  When we moved to Perryville they were used by everyone to burn their trash. Times have changed.

September 2, 2025:

I got my next Radium 223 injection. I am not to be around other people for five days due to the radioactivity that could emanate to others from my system via body fluids. Since we could not attend the June nor August summer campouts with our RV club, we decided to schedule a couple of days of camping with my sister, Renee, and her husband, Jim, at their campground in Cuba, Missouri. We decided such a campout will be safe for all because we will be in separate campers, across the road from each other, all of our daily interaction will all be outside. We try to camp with them at least once per summer and this will be our first opportunity with the treatment schedule.

If the pool is open I will not get in it, nor will I use of the any public facilities at the campground. We are looking forward to it. It has been a rough summer. I have a full bottle of Canadian Whiskey to take along and I plan on putting a pretty good dent in it.

September 3, 2025:

We left Perryville at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at Meramec Valley Campground in Cuba, Missouri, at 10:30 a.m. Renee had to be at the gate with her card to let us in. I will digress here for a moment about that. 

Here is a picture of the campground entrance. Originally there was an attendant at the gatehouse who let you in if you were a member or a paid guest. The attendant was eliminated years ago, I'm sure due to cost, and now there is a telephone at the gatehouse with a number to call so someone in the office can open the gate. This is a membership campground and so all members have a card to get in. Members could always have paying guests but a few years ago the campground was opened it to the public to generate more income. 

In the past I have arrived at the gate and called the number and no one answered. In fact, I think only one time someone answered. The other times I had to call Renee and she would have to drive up and use her card to open the gate for us. 

When you open a place to the general public this is terrible system. You pull up to the gate, off the highway, and are now sitting, in your rig, at the gate, with nowhere to go if no one answers the phone to open the gate. Your only option is to back out into the highway to get out. The road in the lower right is the lane to the storage area for campers. Here is a picture. There is no way any camper could back 90 degrees into this gravel road to turn around. There needs to be a better system for entry by non-members who don't have a card to open the gate.

Once Renee let us in the gate and we checked-in it didn't take long to set up Homer across from Renee and Jim's camper and settle in for three days of R n R.

You can see from this picture that virtually no one was there midweek after school has started. Nice and quiet.

The weather was perfect all three days. Wednesday Renee and Kelly were even able to get in the pool while Jim and I hung out.

Renee and Jim have owned a membership in Meramec Valley Campground for about twenty-five years. It was really a hopping place back in the day but, like many other places, membership has fallen off. Lower membership means lower income which makes general maintenance and improvements more difficult. They have remodeled the office and the laundry/shower house near our campsite.

The three pools and equipment have been upgraded and are all in excellent shape, as are the sitting areas.

The pool house, however, is a different story. While all new pool equipment has been installed, the building itself needs some major surgery. I hope that its remodel is in the budget because it is an eyesore on the major road through the park.

They have expanded and updated the playground near the pool. I think it is a work in progress.

The main road to and around the campground is asphalt and needs to be completely replaced. In many places it is now more gravel than asphalt. It does not give a good impression. I hope its replacement is in the budget soon.

Our campout was great in all respects. We had great meals and the weather was fabulous. The place was quiet and relaxing. 

We can't have a campout without a nice fire. For some reason the ladies sat on one side and the guys sat on the other. LOL

September 5, 2025:

We enjoyed the time together and the great weather but all good things come to an end. Upon leaving we decided to meet at the "Bourbon Cafe" in Bourbon, Missouri, for breakfast. The place is owned by Dan Gray and his wife. Dan went to St. Louise de Marillac Grade School with Renee and I and then became an anchor on a St. Louis news channel for several decades. Unfortunately he wasn't there when we stopped for breakfast. It would have been nice to meet up with him. 

The "Bourbon Cafe" would be unique anywhere but in this town of only 1,500 residents it was outstanding. It is only open Thursday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Here is a picture of the inside. You go up to the counter and order and the food is brought out to you.

I have never before been serenaded during breakfast but this guy was quite a treat singing just across from our table.

The menu is not your typical breakfast or lunch fare. Kelly had "Avocado Toast", which was sourdough bread with salmon, avocado, etc. on top. I had the "Panini Breakfast", which had egg, bacon, cheese, etc. on it. Both were quite tasty and reasonably priced. This stop was a great way to end our time together. We agreed that we should spend more time together but you know how that goes. Even though we are all retired we seem to be busy much of the time.

Once home we had Homer unpacked in record time. Upon checking the mail I had a package which was the replacement material for the two chairs. I was surprised that it had arrived since their website said two to three weeks before delivery. I now have a weekend project.

August 16, 2025 - August 21, 2025 No Traveling - First Biscotti Bake in a Pan - Fixing a Few Things on Homer - Scooter - MRI

My Blog Reflection

When you're through changing, you're through.

Bruce Barton

August 16, 2025

Once back from the trip to Michigan and Indiana it is pretty clear we will not be traveling much until January. Under this field study I'm involved in I have an appointment every two weeks. The first of each month I get a Radium 223 injection, blood work, and a scan. Two weeks later I get more blood work, a full-body bone scan, a pet scan, and an oncologist visit. Not all of this was explained when I signed up for the study but hopefully it is doing some good for me and hopefully for those in the future. 

That being said the blog may be a little boring for a few months. LOL

August 17, 2025:

I bake Biscotti from time to time. For my birthday Annie and Adam bought me a "Biscotti Pan". I had never baked Biscotti in a pan before, always used a cookie sheet. 

It is too hot today to do anything outside so I decided to bake a batch using the pan. I also decided that I wanted to try using honey in the place of sugar for this batch. I also used "Pizza Flour" we had on hand, to use it up, rather than ""All Purpose Flour". I followed the recipe I use for baking the Biscotti on a cookie sheet. After getting started I wondered if I should have looked for a different baking method when using a pan.

Here is a picture of the batter in the pan. I used parchment paper in the pan because with Biscotti you have to bake it, let it cool, slice it, turn it over, and bake it again for a short time. There would be no way of doing that without the parchment paper. It took a little doing to get the batter even throughout the pan. It is very sticky to work with.

Here is a picture after the first bake. It raised much higher than usual, more like cake. It was probably the pizza dough.

After the second bake I spread the pieces out and let them cool and dry out a little. Once that occurred I stored them for eating.

These slices are much taller than normal, more like a cake. Part of it was too much dough for the size of the pan. This batch definitely had a different texture and taste. It could be the honey, or the pizza dough, or both. This batch is "okay" but not how we like our Biscotti. I am going to research to see if there is a different methodology for baking in a pan. I'm also going to use the correct flour and sugar for the next batch. LOL

August 19, 2025:

In the morning I went out to the storage shed to do a little maintenance on Homer and run the generator. I do not like him to set for months without starting the generator and we last used him in May because my treatments interfered with campouts with our RV group. I pulled Homer half out of the shed so the generator exhaust would not blow inside the building. After several long tries the generator finally started. I hate ethanol but the generator draws its fuel out of the main gas tank so I'm stuck with it. 

After the generator ran for five minutes it settled in at 112 volts. At that time the only load was the converter, which was charging the house batteries at 13.3 volts. I turned on the AC and the voltage stayed at 112 volts. I would have liked it a little higher but I could live with that. I let the AC run while I put in four new LED tail light bulbs and replaced the kitchen sink sprayer nozzle, which had failed once again. If this sink sprayer nozzle fails I'm going to replace the entire kitchen sink faucet with something more modern and dependable.

The generator put out 112 volts for an hour with the AC on high. I shut down the AC and let the generator cool down for five minutes. It was then putting out 120 volts. I'm happy with that.

I backed Homer back into the shed. Hopefully we will get to take him on a short trip soon between treatments as the weather cools.

August 20, 2025:

Lately I have been riding my scooter down to the Park Center each morning to walk because daughter Alexa has my car while her car is getting repaired. On the way home I took a milestone picture of the odometer. All "7"s. 7,777.7 miles on a scooter is a lot. I've had it for ten years and ride it regularly. It is the very first vehicle I bought in my life that was BRAND NEW. It is a Yamaha and has operated flawlessly. All I've ever had to do was change the oil. It may be ready for some new tires soon. I'm sure that won't be cheap. I don't know that I could get the back wheel off so I may have to take it somewhere for new tires.

August 21, 2025:

The "bone enhancement agent" infusion that I had to have before I could start my new Radium treatment program, caused a major reaction. I was fine the rest of the day after the infusion but the next morning I woke up in complete back muscle spasms, a totally numb left thigh, and severe stabbing pains in my left leg. I ended up at the ER on Sunday morning because I couldn't take the pain any longer. I was given muscle relaxers, pain killers, and scanned to make sure nothing in my back broke or cracked during the night causing the pain. The pills helped my back but did nothing for the left thigh. On Monday my oncologist ordered an MRI. It took almost two weeks to get one scheduled.

Today I finally got the MRI at the "Center for Advanced Medicine" in South County. I never had an MRI before that I recall. They warned me that the MRI of my back would take a long time. It was 2.5 hours of laying on my back without moving while the machine made all kinds of loud noises. It was grueling. For the last half hour they injected me with dye for contrast. Because of that, or due to the long time laying still on my back, the left thigh started up with severe shooting pains. I just had to grit my teeth to get through it. I didn't want to delay things by starting over in any way. Ihope they find the cause of this pain and that I never have to do such an MRI again in my lifetime.

 

 

July 29th - August 16, 2025 Trailer Upgrade; Trip to Michigan and Indiana

My Blog Reflection

For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

July 29, 2025:

I have a utility trailer that I use to haul the lawnmower out to the lake lot to cut the grass and for various other needs. The trailer tailgate is a ramp so it is heavy to lift up from the ground once it is down. As I have aged I have lost a lot of strength and am now having difficulty lifting the tailgate off the ground. I am not the only one with this issue because there are several tailgate lift assist kits for sale. These kits use large springs attached to cables to help with the weight of the tailgate. Here is the kit I ordered.

Upon the kit arriving I got busy installing it with the help of daughter, Alexa, who was here at the time.

I love the tailgate locks that came with this trailer. There are no pins to pull and lose. You just turn it and push it out to engage the tailgate. Once the tailgate is engaged you turn down to lock it. Here is a picture. A clever design.

The lifting kit instructions said to mount each tube one quarter inch from the end of the trailer side rail. This installation allows for the cable to be pulled down with the tailgate and not rub on the trailer rail. I really wanted to keep my original tailgate locks so I installed the lifting mechanism behind these locks. My "hope" was that I could keep the original locks and mount something on the end of the trailer rail for the cables to ride on so they did not rub on the edge of the trailer rail as you see them doing in the above  picture. 

I purchased pulleys to mount on the end of the rail hoping they would guide the cable away from the edge of the rail. No matter what I tried, this idea just would not work. Sadly I had to cut off the the old locks and move the lifting mechanism to the end of the rail as the instructions stated. Once they were installed according to the supplied directions the cables did not rub on  the trailer. 

With the lifting assist properly mounted I now had to fabricate a new locking mechanism for each side of the tailgate. After looking at some other trailer tailgate locks I settled on the following: I welded a two-inch long piece of pipe on the trailer and another two-inch long piece of pipe on the tailgate. A pin would then be inserted through those pipes locking the tailgate in the upright position.

I purchased two "Draw Hitch Pins" which are normally used on farm equipment. The pins are 1/2 inch thick by 6 inches long. 

As you can see in the picture the "Draw Hitch Pins" came with "bobby pins" to keep the pins from coming out. I hate these bobby pins because they are very difficult to get off with your bare hands. The "Draw Hitch Pins" had large holes on the end so I purchased "Lynch Pins" to replace the bobby pins. This is what lynch pins look like. The pin goes through the hole in the "Draw Hitch Pin" then the ring snaps closed to lock the "Lynch Pin" in place.

Here is a picture of both pins installed on one side of the tailgate. The arrows point to each piece of pipe welded on - one on the trailer and one on the tailgate. You can see the "Draw Hitch Pin" and the "Lynch Pin", top and bottom.

Here is a picture of the new locking mechanism installed on both sides with the cables for the tailgate assist in place.

I was concerned about losing a Draw Hitch Pin, or a Lynch Pin, when using the trailer so I purchased lightweight chain to attach each pin to the trailer.  Here is a picture with the pins in place and chained to the trailer.

Here is a picture of the Draw Hitch Pin once it is pulled. It just hangs there out of the way and readily available to be reinstalled once the tailgate is back in the upright position.

We went out to the lake to cut the grass on Thursday. The tailgate assist system and the new tailgate lock system all worked well.

 

August 9, 2025:

Today in the mail, after living in Perry County for 50 years, I received my first call for jury duty in the federal court system. I filled out the questionnaire online and will wait to see if I get called. My concern is having conflicts with my medical treatment schedule. We shall see.

August 12, 2025:

Now that all of my medical procedures were out of the way for a week or so, we headed to Michigan for a long talked about visit with friends there. When spending the winters in Roberts RV Park in Florida for several years we met three sisters and their husbands from Michigan and became great friends. No one is RVing there anymore and we wanted to get together.

In the evening we stopped overnight at a Super8. The hotel was fine but this is a picture of their "breakfast bar". I was the only one in there. There wasn't a single hot item other than the coffee. You could have cold cereal, yogurt, day old bread for toast, or a half rotten banana. What a joke.

August 13, 2025:

Upon our arrival at Chris and Marj's place in early afternoon, we were warmly greeted by Chris and Marge, Jean and David, and George and Janet. It was so great seeing all of them. Here is a selfie that Jean took out on the patio.

It was a very emotional meeting for Chris and I since we are both dealing with progressing cancer issues and don't know if we will have the opportunity to visit again. 

Chris and Marj provided a wonderful meal for everyone and we shared pictures of our times together at Roberts RV Park over the years. We were lucky to have had several years of great times with these great people. I wish:  A: We had met forty years ago; and B: That we lived closer to each other for visits. 

Chris took us for a tour of the apartment complex on this golf cart. It is a very nice and large complex with several streets and is still in the making.

Their apartment is perfect for them with an open concept, no steps, a two car garage, two bedrooms, and a nice rear patio. Selling their home of 45 years and moving here has proven to be a great decision for them.

August 14, 2005:

We took Chris and Marj to breakfast the next morning and, after another great visit over breakfast, we then headed to Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

In Fort Wayne we visited Jim and Marilyn in their new apartment. They recently sold their home and moved into a a nice two-bedroom apartment in a large complex for seniors. 

We had a nice visit with them and then retreated to the room they rented for us in the complex which is available for visitors. It was a nice room and I was ready for a good night's sleep.

August 15, 2025: 

Friday morning we got up, had a huge breakfast at a restaurant Jim picked out, and headed home. Here is a picture of Marilyn and Jim as we were leaving the restaurant to head back to Perryville. It is always good to see them.

We arrived in Perryville at 4:30 p.m. and it was 96 degrees, a little hotter than in Michigan and Indiana. I couldn't believe the amount of bugs on the car in 1,400 miles even though we had never driven at night. I'll need to get busy and clean them off soon. Maybe.

We had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and it did not disappoint. A visit on Monday with the oncologist will give us an idea of time we may have for other short trips, or even a hope down to our place in Florida.

June 21st - July 6, 2025 Making Fire Pokers, New Backup Camera for Truck, and Shadow Box out of a Cigar Box

 My Blog Reflection

Joy is not in things, it is in us.

Charles Wagner

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Over the last week I have been making six fire pokers that my daughter, Annie, and husband, Adam, want to give to friends in California whom they camp with. To make these pokers the only things I had to buy were the metal rods and polyurethane for the handles. When I was out in California with my truck last year Adam and Annie had a bunch of bed slats they were going to throw away. They were all nice pine boards about three inches in width. I couldn't see them going to the landfill so I loaded them in the truck and brought them home for projects like this. For these poker handles I glued two bed slats together, turned them on the lathe, painted them, and polyurethaned them. I like the pine handles over the oak handles I made in the past. Two of the bed slats are making their way back to California. LOL

Here are the pokers ready to be packaged for shipment to California. I hope all the families enjoy using them.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025:

In the morning, after two tests at the hospital, I decided to get a summer haircut. It's been a while since I wore my hair short. Unfortunately it doesn't make me look any better. LOL

Thursday, June 26, 2025:

The aftermarket backup camera I installed in the truck went out. I have no reason why. One time it worked, next time it didn't. I thought maybe there was a loose wire to the camera or a bad ground. John and I took the camera off and connected it to another power source. Nothing. We pulled apart wires, sprayed connections, etc. Nothing. We decided this Chinese backup camera was junk. I ordered another Chinese backup camera but a different brand. 

Friday, June 27, 2025:

The new backup camera arrived this afternoon. I will install it tomorrow. The worst part is rolling under the truck bed and wiring the camera into the running lights for power. 

Saturday, June 28, 2025:

My first attempt at wiring the new backup camera into the running lights failed. I couldn't get any of the wires out of the "Scotchloks" which I used for the prior installation. I always called them by that name but I found they are now called "Quick Splice Connectors". I think they were originally made by the Scotch tape company, thus the name. I assume their patent ran out because now they are made by several companies. Here is a picture of one. 

Their purpose is to allow you to tap into a wire without cutting it. They are used  a lot for trailer lights. Here is how they work. The wire you are tapping into goes through one side and out the other. The wire you are adding goes from one end to the other of the Scotchlok. You squeeze the metal piece down and it pierces both wires with the metal piece making an electrical connection. The plastic top is then flip over to lock it in place.

 

I found that the "Scotchloks" were not a good fit for the tiny wires for the truck running lights and for the even smaller camera wires. In getting the Scotchloks off one of the truck running light wires broke. It was clear that I needed to solder all the connections and forget the Scotchlok method of connecting wires. 

I soldered all connections and the camera worked fine. I then wrapped everything with several layers of electrical tape to keep out moisture. Before mounting the camera and license plate I checked the camera monitor again and got "No Signal" from the camera. I cut all of the tape off and immediately found that the truck ground wire I had soldered had broken on one end. These tiny wires are a pain to work with up under the bumper of a truck. I added a piece of wire to the truck wire to take some of the strain off the camera wire connection. 

Before I began soldering I placed a piece of shrink tube over each wire. After soldering I moved the tube into position over the soldered connection and heated it up with a lighter so that the rubber tubing shrunk tight around the connection. This helps with strength and moisture.

This time the connections were tight and the camera worked fine. I then mounted the camera and license plate and wire tied all the extra camera wire up under the bumper.

I sincerely hope this camera last longer than the two years I got out of the old one.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

We put our lake lot up for sale. We don't use it enough to justify continuing to own it. Additionally, it is getting harder for me to keep it maintained. We've owned it for about ten years so it is time to pass it on to someone who will enjoy it. 

Thursday, July 3, 2025:

Alexa came down and we went to watch the fireworks at the City Park. As usual it was a great display. We all enjoyed it.

Friday, July 4, 2025:

A laid back holiday. Alexa had brought down a couple of pork steaks for grilling.  I grilled them for supper and had them along with a fresh salad that Kelly made from the vegetables Bob and Ronnie are providing us. Nothing was leftover. LOL

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Yesterday and today I have been working on a small shadow box for my daughter, Alexa. She wanted it approximately the same size as one she already has. This shadow box is for miniatures so it needed to be made out of thin wood. My son-in-law's father, Jay, owns a cigar store in St. Louis and has given me  a number of wooden cigar boxes that normally get thrown out. These boxes are made out of light-weight, thin wood which was perfect for this project.  Here is a picture of the box I used for this project.

I cut the box apart and then cut the sides into strips from which I made the frame and the slats for the shelves. Here is a picture of the frame assembled and slats ready for assembly.

After putting all the slats together I stained it and put on several coats of polyurethane. Here is a picture of the shadow box behind a cigar box like the one I used to make it. A fun little project. Alexa is going to buy some velvet material for the back of it before she hangs it up.