October in South Moline arrives on the water first — Sylvan Slough goes glassy, the maples above it turn, and the whole season tips over inside of a week. Topscape Landscaping works both halves of that turn: mowing, trimming, edging and cleanups while the grass is still climbing, then plowing, shoveling and salting once the ground locks up for good. Leaves come down in one long orange run, and some morning not long after, everything is white and the blade goes back on the truck. Sitting between the Rock River and the Mississippi, this ground holds its damp, so the freeze here is a serious one. Both halves of the year ask the same thing anyway — get there early, leave the place looking tended.