Spring comes up out of the hemlock shade near Devil's Hopyard a week behind the rest of the valley — cold water first, then green. KCG Services LLC opens the season there with cleanups, the first mow once the ground carries weight, trimming, edging, and fresh mulch laid dark against the new grass. Ledge and root run close to the surface in this corner of town, so a mower operator learns each yard by feel. It is physical work with a visible answer at the end of it, which is not something every trade can claim. By July the same lawns are thick enough to hold a stripe, and that is reward enough.