The slopes above Ellery are ruled off in grapevines, and by mid-afternoon in August the air over the rows goes sweet and heavy. Valley Boys Outdoor Services mows the properties tucked among them, with weekly cutting, trimming around posts and outbuildings, edging, mulch, and cleanups at either end of the year. Heat settles into these hollows and the grass answers it, so the machines are out early and the last yard is finished before the day turns still. A lawn cut in the cool of the morning holds its color all week, which is the small science behind the schedule. By the time the harvest trucks start running in September, the leaf work is already planned.