Winter dusk comes early on the Howell side of the township, blue over the fields by half past four, and by then the stone walks and paver drives out this way have taken a full day of snow. Howell Hardscape Inc clears them — plowing drives and lots, opening steps and walkways down to their surface, laying salt where the melt would otherwise glaze over after dark. Stone and pavers hold the cold differently than asphalt, and clearing them asks a lighter, more deliberate hand. The satisfaction is the same as any winter job carried through: someone comes home in the dark and never once has to think about the ground beneath their feet. Storm by storm, across Genoa Township and out toward Howell and Oceola.