Dawn over the Seneca River marshes on Clay's western edge comes up through mist, the water flat as glass, herons standing about like they hold the deed. Northern Property Services begins its mowing days in that hour, decks down before the heat, cutting lawns while the air is still cool enough to enjoy. Mowing, trimming, edging and cleanups when the season closes — the list is short and the standard is not. A lawn cut early holds its stripes all day, and there is something quietly good about finishing a yard before most of the street is awake. Clay is generous with growing weather, and this is how that generosity gets kept in hand.