Spring arrives here sideways: snowbanks shrinking into the gravel, yards spongy and gray, winter sand still lying along the drive. R & J Lawn and Maintenance begins the year in that mess — raking out matted grass, clearing what the cold left behind, getting the turf standing again before the first cut. Then comes the good part, when the mower goes through and the whole yard turns a color it hasn't been in six months. Summer is steady mowing and trimming across Bear Creek Township, and in fall the leaves come off those same lawns. Keeping a property looking after itself is mostly a matter of showing up at the right times.