When Elliott Love brings the flat end of his ax hammering down onto an iron wedge, the ring of metal on metal echoes throughout his neighborhood.
The first blow doesn't do much, but after a few more inches the 3-foot-wide slice of wood begins to creak as it splits apart. Each half rolls to either side, the wedge falling to the ground with a dull thud.
Photo Gallery
ADG Bridal Fair
Arkansas Democrat Gazette's 11th annual Bridal Fair at the Convention Center, Sunday, January 27.
Owning a tree service was a career path Love never imagined as a kid going up in Port Dover, Ontario.
Love grew up playing baseball, and knew that there were more opportunities for sports scholarships in America than there are in Canada.
"My goal was a four-year degree, which I couldn't afford in Canada," he said.
With the help of his coach at a junior college in Cleveland, Ohio, Love was recruited to play at Texarkana College, where he and his team went to the Junior College World Series in 2005.
Since college, Love has stayed in Texas and started a family.
"This was my first taste of home. My first taste of Texas, my first taste of truly living in America," Love said. He met his wife Barbara at Texarkana College and they have two children. "I love Texas. It gave me an opportunity that Ontario couldn't and now I've got children here now. I still catch myself day dreaming that I ended up in Texas with a wife and kids," he said.
Now, Love is a permanent resident and owns his own
business.
In addition to removing the trees, Love splits them for firewood and slices them for artwork. "I don't want to be the slayer of people's trees, but at the same time it feels good that it goes toward something beautiful."