Roberta wakes early on the fall line, where the red clay of the Piedmont loosens into sand and the pines lean over US 80. Mowing here means reading the ground twice — the shaded strip under the oaks, then the open stretch that takes the full weight of a Crawford County afternoon. The work goes row by row: the deck set high in July, the string trimmer following every fence post and mailbox, the blower sending the last clippings off the walk. By the time the heat stands up at noon, the yard is quiet and level, with a clean line drawn where grass meets drive. Pecan leaves come down later in the year, and those get gathered too.