On the bay side of Brigantine the lagoons hold the morning still, and the lawns behind the bulkheads wake before the beach blocks do. D & R Sprinklers and Landscaping runs those streets early — mowing, edging the walks down toward the dock steps, trimming the tight corners where a yard meets water. Salt air keeps everything a little softer and a little slower here, so the crisp line of a finished edge stands out all the more. In winter the plow goes on the front and the same driveways get cleared, walks scraped down until the footing is honest again. Two seasons, one island, every block learned by heart.