The Assabet slides right through the middle of Maynard, past brick mill walls and the clock tower you can see from most of downtown. Joe's Lawn Care keeps the yards on the hills above that river — mowing, trimming, edging, mulch and bed weeding, fertilization, overseeding, and the cleanups that bookend the growing season. When winter closes over the valley, the same properties get plowed, walks and stairs shoveled clear, and salt or sand laid on the steep short streets this town is full of. Opening a driveway before the workday starts is its own small victory, repeated all night. Maynard first, then the river towns on either side of it.