October takes its time in Winston. The oaks let go a few at a time, so a yard cleared on Saturday is gold again by Wednesday — which is why Millers landscaping llc plans leaf work in rounds instead of one heroic afternoon. Mowing keeps on while the fescue is still growing; blowers pull the drifts out of the beds and off the ivy; the trimmer keeps the fence line honest. What's left is a lawn you can read the shape of again, with the beds dark and open and the walks clear underfoot. On the last round of the fall, the rake marks in the mulch are the only sign anybody was there.