By October the trees around Buffumville Lake let go all at once, and Oxford yards go from green to gold to buried in about a week. That is when a property maintenance crew earns its keep — raking, hauling, blowing the bed lines clear, handing a homeowner back a lawn that looks ready for the cold. The rest of the year it is mowing on a steady rhythm, trimming, edging and fresh mulch laid dark around the shrubs. A lawn kept on schedule never has a dramatic day; it simply looks right every week, which is the harder trick. The route covers Oxford, Sutton, Millbury, Auburn, Charlton and Dudley.