At noon in July the heat sits perfectly still over Elko, the longleaf pines throwing almost no shade and a freight sounding somewhere past the highway. HDL Services makes its rounds through it — mowing, string trimming, edging, and the blow-down that turns a cut yard into a finished one. Middle Georgia grass wants water and a blade that isn't set too low, and the routine here respects both. The work runs through Elko and out along the neighboring Houston County roads, lot by lot. The measure of a good day is a row of yards that all sit square on the drive back.