The cottonwoods along the Colorado River turn all at once in Silt, and for about two weeks the valley floor runs yellow between the dry hills. Then the wind gets its say, and every yard in town needs attention. Aspen leaf handles lawn care straight through the green season — mowing, edging, trimming and cleanups that carry the leaves off before they mat down over the grass. A watered lawn is a small triumph in this high desert, and it shows when it is kept up: a bright square of green with a tan mesa standing behind it. The last raking of the year is the one that makes spring easy.