Really glad you asked about the bookshelf build. I ended up going with red oak instead of poplar because it stains so much more evenly. The grain pattern on the oak really pops with just a simple wipe-on poly finish. I cut all the joinery with a dado stack on the table saw and it came out surprisingly square. The trick is to dry-fit everything before adding any glue. I had to adjust the middle shelf height twice because I mismeasured the spacing for the book heights. Do you usually leave a quarter inch above each row or do you go tighter? I left about three eighths this time and it looks balanced. Next time I might try adding a panel back just for extra stability. Let me know if you want me to share the cut list I put together. I can send over the dimensions for each piece so you can adjust for your space.

The camping trip planning is coming together nicely. We reserved site seven at the lake campground which has a nice shaded area and is close to the water refill station. I checked the weather forecast and it looks like clear skies with highs around 78 and lows near 55 so we will need warm layers for the evening. I am bringing the four person tent and the camp stove along with a couple of propane canisters. For meals I am thinking breakfast tacos one morning and foil packet dinners over the fire. We should coordinate who brings the coolers and ice. I also picked up a new lantern that runs on rechargeable batteries so we won't need to worry about fuel. Let me know if you want to add any day hikes to the itinerary. There is a seven mile loop on the east side of the lake that offers some really good views.