Spring arrives in the Wangunk Meadows before it reaches the rest of Portland — the river bottomland greens up first, and everything above it follows within the week. Lawn Monitor watches for that turn and starts the season's mowing when the ground is ready rather than when the calendar says so. Regular cuts, trimmed fence lines, edged walks, seed into the bare spots, fertilizer timed to the growth. By the time the fairground fields are dry enough for a crowd, the yards they look after are already thick and even. It is a small pride, keeping a street's worth of lawns looking like someone is paying attention — because someone is.