October turns the hayfield edges of Hamptonburgh gold, and then one windy night takes the maples all at once. Leaf work sets the rhythm of the season — blowing out beds and fencelines, clearing the lawn in passes, and hauling the piles away so the turf can breathe under whatever comes next. Mowing carries on later than people expect around here, one last low cut before the ground goes hard. Trimming and edging keep a yard's lines readable even as the color drains out of everything around it. There is a plain kind of pride in a property put to bed properly in November.