By early November the dark comes to Joliet at half past four, and there is one week where the maples drop everything they have at once. Landscaping Experts Inc. spends it on cleanups — leaves off the turf and out of the beds, corners and fence lines cleared, the final cut of the year taken low so nothing mats down under the snow. The rest of the season runs on the ordinary rhythm: mowing, trimming, edging, mulch and bed upkeep from the spring cleanup onward. There is something deeply satisfying about the last load going out and a lawn left bare and even. It will be back in April, and so will the crew.