February arrives in Traverse City sideways, off the East Arm and up over Eighth Street, and by the time the shops unlock their doors the driveways along the ridge are already open. AMO Inc Outdoor Services handles both halves of the year here — plowing and hauling snow through the long dark months, then mowing and tending lawns once the bay finally lets go of the cold. There is real satisfaction in a drive scraped down to bare pavement while the sky is still the color of a nickel. Come July the same yards get a straight cut line and a clean edge along the walk. Grand Traverse County asks a lot of anyone who works outdoors, and that is exactly the appeal.