The first norther of the year reaches Oklahoma City sometime in October — the weather swings around out of the north, the temperature drops twenty degrees between lunch and supper, and the Bermuda starts thinking about going gold. TurfWorks reads that turn as a to-do list: the last full cuts of the year, leaves cleared before they mat down, edges reset so a yard holds its shape all winter. Along the creek trails on the north side the cottonwoods let go early, and the lawns nearby carry the evidence. It is unglamorous work, and it decides how a yard looks for the next five months. Come spring, a lawn that was closed out properly is obvious from the street.