The blade waits in the yard all through October, and then one gray afternoon the flakes come in sideways on a west wind and Stoughton gets serious. Patriot Plow Sales & Service runs the storm from there — driveways plowed wide, cul-de-sac bowls opened up, walkways and steps cleared, sand and salt down where the ice sets. Deep snow gets pushed back in stages so the banks are not closing the drive in again by February. There is a plain pleasure in backing out at the end of a job and seeing the whole apron clean to the pavement. Then on to the next one, all night if the sky asks for it.