Galesburg keeps time by trains; the yard hums through the night, a horn crosses town every hour or so, and by first light the work trucks are moving too. Nichols Lawn Care is one of them, out early so the mowing is finished before the day's heat settles down over the prairie. The work is mowing, trimming and edging, with cleanups in spring and fall: walks cut back to their concrete, fence lines squared, clippings blown off the drive. Freight and crossing gates aside, a neighborhood mostly gets read by its grass, and that is a fair thing to be careful about. By mid-morning the yards are done and the street gets its quiet back.