September mornings here start under oak and hickory, with dew heavy enough to soak a boot before seven. Houston's Lawn Service moves through it as the shade shifts across the yards of White Lake Township — mowing once the grass dries, trimming close where surface roots make the ground uneven, edging back the creep along drives, and blowing the first fallen leaves off the concrete. Shade lawns are their own puzzle; they grow thin and want a taller cut, and knowing that is half the job. There is a plain pleasure in a yard that looks even all the way to the street. That is the aim, week after week, straight through the fall.