East of Tucson the Rincon Mountains close off the valley, and the mesquite bosque along the washes turns a soft yellow-green in October when the heat finally breaks. Palmero Tree Service works these desert acreages under the saguaro slopes — pruning mesquite and palo verde into a shape they can carry, trimming clear of roofs and corrals, removing what has died back past recovery. Desert trees are slow growers, so every cut counts and nothing comes off that does not need to go. Summer storms come down the valley hard and leave whole trees on their sides; cutting them apart and hauling them out is straight work with a clear result. What remains is a place that looks tended without looking tamed.