By August the gravel roads around Little Kansas throw dust at everything and the cicadas run loud from noon to dark. That is the stretch when a yard is either kept up or clearly is not, and Little Kansas Tire mows on the same day each week — trimming out the fence rows and around the mailbox, edging the drive, and leaving the walks clear before pulling out. Feeding and weed control run through the warm months so the grass stays thick enough to shrug off the dry spells between thunderstorms. When the rains come back in September, the fed lawns green up fast and the neglected ones take weeks about it. Kansas is a small town in big country, and a lawn kept even and clipped says somebody was paying attention.