Elgin's west side climbs. From the river the streets tilt up past the bluffs, and every one of those grades has to be beaten before the first commute. J&J Landscaping works the dark hours, blade down on the driveways along the hill streets while porch lights are still the only lights burning. By the time the sky over the valley goes gray-blue, the aprons are cut back to pavement, the walks are salted, and the ridge of snow sits where it belongs, off to the side and out of the way. A cleared drive nobody had to think about is its own kind of satisfaction.