South of Macon the land tips off the fall line, clay giving way to sand and pine, and in August the county roads throw a rust-colored plume behind every truck. Dirt Roads Outdoor Management works that ground around Rutland — mowing lawns and open lots, trimming out fence lines and ditch banks, edging drives, hauling off the cut. Heat settles in heavy by ten in the morning, so the day begins well before it. Sandy soil drains fast and grows fast after a storm, which keeps a mower busy from April straight into October. By evening the yards sit level, the borders are held, and the dust drifts back down into the road.