Erie sits up above the Rock River bottoms, where morning fog lifts off the water and burns away over Whiteside County corn. Misfits Lawn Care LLC works the village's yards on that schedule — mowing early, trimming close around trees and posts, edging the sidewalks into a straight line, cleanups in spring and again when the leaves let go. Sandy river-country ground drains quickly and browns in a dry August, so the height goes up and the passes get lighter until the rains come back. In October the maples on the side streets drop everything in a hurry and the blowers earn their keep. The reward is a small-town yard with a defined border and nothing left lying on the walk.