May arrives late on the high ground above Whitin Reservoir, and then all at once — grass green overnight, water bright between the trunks. Douglas Lawn Care opens its year there with the rake and the first cut, clearing what winter dropped and setting the height for the season. From then on it is weekly mowing, trimming close along posts and walls, and an edge kept honest where lawn meets gravel. The town runs on dirt roads and long driveways, and a mown yard at the end of one is a welcome sight. October closes the circle, leaves cleared off before the cold settles in.