The pasture south of town fills with hot air balloons every July for the National Balloon Classic, but in January it's just an open white field, and Peek Sales & Service knows the roads that ring it as well as anyone plowing snow in Warren County. The crew works farm lanes and residential drives alike, running blades over gravel approaches that turn to ice the moment the temperature drops after a thaw. In town, that means driveways and short stretches of sidewalk cleared before the mail carrier's route; out past the last stoplight, it means longer lanes between machine sheds where a stuck truck can cost half a morning. Indianola's winters run long and gray more often than dramatic, a string of small storms rather than one big one, so the work is steady rather than sudden — out again after every few inches rather than waiting for a foot. By the time the shops reopen for business, the routes are already cleared and the next round is already being watched for.