West of the city the ground starts to tilt, Clear Creek runs cold out of the canyon, and the flat top of the mesa stands over the neighborhoods like a piece of scenery nobody had to build. Applewoods Landscaping keeps the yards along that western slope of the metro — mowing, trimming and shaping through the long green half of the year, when afternoon light comes off the foothills at an angle that makes a fresh-cut lawn look almost lit from within. Snow arrives here first and lingers longest, sliding down out of the high country while the plains are still clear, so the plow season starts a beat ahead of the rest of town. Walks get opened, drives get pushed back to the edges, and the icy north corners get their own attention. Two seasons, one set of streets, learned closely.