Dog Shade Area

I forgot to post a picture of the dog shade area I made after I finished the doghouse. It consists of a simple column of block (on a concrete footer). The top block is loose and just sitting on top - I'll explain why later. Eye hook bolts are anchored in the concrete filling the block at the outside diagonal corners. The second to last block is not filled completely. I cut a groove in the block by the anchors so a metal cable has a slot to rest in. The cable is attached to the wrought iron fence and to an eye hook for each open edge. Sun cloth is attached to the fence and the cable with ties and then screwed between two blocks of wood (larger attachment point to prevent tearing) that are concealed in the second to top block. This allows easy replacement of the sun cloth when it becomes degraded by the sun over time. This is topped of by a solid block that conceals the eye hooks and blocks holding the sun cloth.

(The mesquite tree just dropped its seed pods so the dog yard is covered. Fringe likes eating them. The pods provide food for javelina and other desert animals and must be tasty enough for a dog.)