The Red Cedar River starts near Cedar Lake in Iosco Township, small enough to step across, and in June the storms that feed it build up fast over the open fields. Grass takes off after weather like that; a week's growth can show up in three days. The Lawn Warden stays ahead of it — mowing on a schedule that actually holds, trimming close where the mower can't reach, edges cut, cleanups in spring and fall. Watching a rain-fed lawn get brought back to level is one of the better parts of the job.