The first mow of the year in Creston usually lands in the second week of April, when the ground finally firms and the grass along Plainfield goes from gray to a green that almost hums. Hoffman Lawn Care starts there and keeps going until the last leaf is down. Weekly mowing, trimming around fences and hydrants, a clean edge on the walk, and cleanups at the opening and closing of the year. Between the ravines and the flat blocks nearer the river, no two yards on a Creston street drain the same way, so the cutting height follows the yard instead of the calendar. An even cut on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon is a small thing that makes a whole block look tended.