Last Straw

About Last Straw

October arrives in Blowing Rock as gold light on the carriage roads above Bass Lake, and the last cuts of the year are the best ones — dry air, low sun, a lawn that has finally stopped racing. Last Straw handles the mowing, edging and trimming through the season, then the long fall clearing, hauling the leaf drop away before the first hard frost pins it down. A yard put to bed properly in November comes back easier in May, and that is most of what the work is for. Main Street empties toward evening and the mountain cools fast, so the day ends when the light does. From Foscoe out to Seven Devils, it is outdoor work with a view thrown in.