The Au Sable runs cold and clear through Grayling, and half the yards in town slope toward water somewhere. Paddle Hard Yard mows those yards — sandy ground that dries out by July, shaded strips under jack pine, the bank grass above a canoe landing that still has to look sharp. Summer up here is loud with liveries by day and quiet by nine, and a lawn cut at that hour smells of pine sap and river together. Trimming, edging and cleanups fill in the rest of the season, from the first green through the last leaf drop. It is plain outdoor work in a town built around a river, and it shows in every finished yard.