Makin’ Waves

Published 3:44 pm Thursday, July 22, 2010

Bill and Cathy Robertson of Demopolis have a backyard that is reminiscent of a resort. Tucked within a privacy fence just off the grounds of the Sports-Plex, the residence often serves as the favorite summertime hangout for dozens of the couple’s family members and friends.

But just five years ago, the grounds looked nothing like the getaway they resemble today.

“We had a bunch of great big cedar trees when we bought this place,” Bill says. “And Hurricane Katrina took a bunch of them down.”

While the destruction of the back yard seems a natural disaster on the surface, Mother Nature did little more than provide Bill with a cheap source of contract labor as the removal of the trees only served to feed a project he had launched months earlier.

Bill had already survived his share of heart attacks and even a stroke when he decided to tackle remaking the back yard as a therapeutic exercise.

“I built the deck as therapy,” Bill says.

“It took him a year to finish it,” Cathy reveals.

The project started with Bill’s decision to firm up the foundation and lay the brick work for the lower deck. The home was already stocked with an upper deck that spread off the living room and overlooked the back yard. Working entirely at night because of his job at Harvest Select in Uniontown, Bill added the lower deck, providing some shade and extra seating in the process.

From there, he moved on to flower beds, which are alive with a spectrum of colors.

“Bill has a green thumb,” Cathy says. “He can really do anything he sets his mind to.”

Once Katrina took care of the cedar trees, the couple figured the best bet would be to put in a swimming pool.

The new feature, added three years ago, seemed the logical choice as it would allow the couple’s grandchildren a place to play during the summer and provide Cathy some assistance with her Rheumatoid arthritis. Now the centerpiece of the yard, the pool is an 18-foot-by-36-foot saltwater tank that remains crystal clear all year long.

“That pool stays that pretty and clear 365 days a year,” Bill says.

And that’s good, too, because Bill and Cathy’s family and friends will take every chance they get to undergo a little therapy of their own. •

ill and Cathy Robertson of Demopolis have a backyard that is reminiscent of a resort. Tucked within a privacy fence just off the grounds of the Sports-Plex, the residence often serves as the favorite summertime hangout for dozens of the couple’s family members and friends. But just five years ago, the grounds looked nothing like the getaway they resemble today.“We had a bunch of great big cedar trees when we bought this place,” Bill says. “And Hurricane Katrina took a bunch of them down.” While the destruction of the back yard seems a natural disaster on the surface, Mother Nature did little more than provide Bill with a cheap source of contract labor as the removal of the trees only served to feed a project he had launched months earlier. Bill had already survived his share of heart attacks and even a stroke when he decided to tackle remaking the back yard as a therapeutic exercise.“I built the deck as therapy,” Bill says. “It took him a year to finish it,” Cathy reveals. The project started with Bill’s decision to firm up the foundation and lay the brick work for the lower deck. The home was already stocked with an upper deck that spread off the living room and overlooked the back yard. Working entirely at night because of his job at Harvest Select in Uniontown, Bill added the lower deck, providing some shade and extra seating in the process. From there, he moved on to flower beds, which are alive with a spectrum of colors. “Bill has a green thumb,” Cathy says. “He can really do anything he sets his mind to.” Once Katrina took care of the cedar trees, the couple figured the best bet would be to put in a swimming pool. The new feature, added three years ago, seemed the logical choice as it would allow the couple’s grandchildren a place to play during the summer and provide Cathy some assistance with her Rheumatoid arthritis. Now the centerpiece of the yard, the pool is an 18-foot-by-36-foot saltwater tank that remains crystal clear all year long.“That pool stays that pretty and clear 365 days a year,” Bill says. And that’s good, too, because Bill and Cathy’s family and friends will take every chance they get to undergo a little therapy of their own. •