By late November the pine ridges around North Marion go still, and the broomsedge in the fence corners turns the pale gold you only get in west Georgia light. Lawns go dormant then, but the work does not stop: leaves need clearing off the grass, beds need cutting back, and the edges that raveled all season need re-cutting so a yard holds its shape through winter. It is cool enough to enjoy the day and slow enough to do the detail right. Then February turns, the green creeps back, and the mowing rounds start again out along the county roads. Tending a yard here is a long loop, and every pass around it leaves the place better than it was.