When the first hard front comes down out of the Boston Mountains, the oak leaves reach Rudy ahead of it, and every yard in the valley needs clearing twice. Schlegel Lawn Care handles that stretch — mowing the leaves down or raking them out, blowing beds and walks clean, cutting fresh edges, and taking a last low pass before the grass goes dormant. Crawford County winters are more gray than white, and a yard put to bed properly holds its shape until the redbuds break in March. Between the ridges the wind funnels straight down the valley, which is either help or trouble depending on which way you are blowing. Either way, the yard ends up bare and square by dark.