Autumn arrives in Floyd County from the top down. Color starts up on Lavender Mountain, works its way into the valley, and then lands in everybody's yard at once. That is leaf season, and it is honest work — rake, blow, gather, haul, and go again next week when the wind shifts. In between, the mowing continues; the grass slows but does not quit, and a trimmed line along the walk keeps a place looking kept even in November. A cleared lawn on a bright cold Rome morning is a small, complete thing.