Great Bay lies just north of Stratham, and in October the light coming off the water runs long and coppery by four in the afternoon. GCE Lawn Care is usually still out in it, taking the last cuts of the year along the Route 33 side of town and hauling leaves off lawns before they pack down wet. Through the summer the routine is simpler and no less exacting: mow, trim, edge, clear the hard surfaces, move along. Coastal air keeps this town greener later than places inland, which stretches the season at both ends and gives the grass an extra few weeks. April cleanups open the beds back up, and the whole cycle begins again.