The Suncook River gathers itself in Barnstead out of ponds and swamp brooks, and the town grows up around it in hayfields, camp roads and long dirt driveways. Lawns out here are wide and a little wild at the margins, which is exactly what makes a trimmed one so satisfying to stand and look at. We cut, we edge, we clear the spring mess of sand and broken branches, and we keep growth off the fence lines all through August. On a hot afternoon toward Center Barnstead the mower is the only sound for a mile. That kind of quiet is worth doing the job right for.