About two years ago, local construction worker Bob Morgan was out of work and hoping that he wouldn鈥檛 have to move away from his wife and two sons to find work.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important for me to be around them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not huge church people, but we had a prayer asking for something that would allow me to stay closer to home and be able to work around here.鈥�

It was around that time that Morgan decided to start wood carving, something that鈥檚 always been in the back of his mind.

鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to do it,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very time I saw these guys doing wood carving I just thought, 鈥業 think I can do that.鈥欌��

Although Morgan only started carving two years ago - and only started using a chainsaw 10 months ago - his impressive life size animal carvings and signs have sold for up to $9000.

Even though his work is mostly advertised through word-of-mouth, he鈥檚 all booked for the next few months and he says work just keeps pouring in.

鈥淭o me, this is miraculous,鈥� he said.

Some of his work includes the sign for 亚洲天堂 Lake Band鈥檚 new hotel, Key-oh Lodge, as well as a sign for Tahtsa Timber, which weights about 700 pounds and had to be picked up by a crane.

Morgan said this all started after his mother gave him some wood carving tools for Christmas two years ago.

His first three-dimensional carving was of four sockeye salmon in a six by six feet pine. Although he admits that his technique has developed quite a lot since that first carving, he said he was surprised by his own skills at the time.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥極h, I guess I can do this,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not really trying to go for a style of any kind, I鈥檓 just trying to be as accurate as I can.鈥�

His wife Miranda Morgan has been a big supporter of his newfound talent. In fact, the company they鈥檝e created - Man Cave Creations - was her idea.

鈥淗er faith in me is extremely amazing,鈥� said Bob. 鈥淢ost women wouldn鈥檛 let their husbands take up saw carving at 47, let alone bet the families鈥� security on its success.鈥�

The Morgans have been living at Takysie Lake for the past 10 years. For the past few months, Bob has been carving full time from his own shop, sometimes working 12 hours a day.

鈥淚鈥檓 happier than I鈥檝e ever been,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ight now I鈥檓 doing what I love, I get to see my kids every day and I鈥檓 at peace in life.鈥�

Bob recently did a chainsaw carving demonstration outside of Outdoor Adventures in 亚洲天堂 Lake. The carving, worth about $500, was donated for a raffle intended to help the Lakes District Food Bank, which was recently broken into and vandalized.

Although Man Cave Creations is all booked for the next few months, Bob said he鈥檚 open to doing smaller projects this Christmas. For more information, call Man Cave Creations at 250-694-3664.