Mercer County will not lie flat for anybody — the ground rolls west in long swells toward the Mississippi bluffs, and the yards roll right along with it. Armstrong mowing takes those slopes on the contour, mowing and trimming and edging until a hillside lawn looks deliberate instead of accidental. Hay ground and timber sit close on every side, so a June morning here smells like cut grass and river air at the same time. Spring cleanup opens the season and fall leaf work closes it, with steady weekly cutting holding the middle. Hills are harder to mow well, which is precisely why a good one catches the eye from the road.