The Uwharries have been wearing down for a very long time, and the ridgelines north of Albemarle hold the morning haze like something poured into a bowl. Above The Green Landscapes works the yards underneath that soft grey light, mowing while the dew still weighs the blades down. There is a real satisfaction in the trimmed line along a fence post, in the blown-clean drive that shows the whole day's work at a glance. Summer here asks for a steady weekly rhythm; autumn asks for leaves hauled off before they mat down into the turf. Whatever the calendar says, the aim stays the same — a lawn that looks looked-after from the road.