On a recent morning I took my freshly brewed coffee out on the deck for my predawn greeting of the day. It was a particularly good cup of coffee (thank you Prime Roast), and this particular morning I had lit one of the first fires of the season in the wood stove. Quite often a newly started fire, with not much momentum, will send whiffs of smoke downward from the chimney. Just dense enough for a comforting whiff, which, combined with the aroma and flavor of the coffee, made it a particular pleasing olfactory experience. I expect there are many others who savor the sensory blessing of those first few fires.
Later in the winter I’ll travel to Keene some chilly morning, when the wood stoves of Keene homes are taking the chill off Keene homes. It’s a bit alarming how the air quality is affected – noticeable even from inside a car. This is partly due to the quantity of stoves in action, but particularly exacerbated by the fact that Keene is essentially a bowl, which impacts the ability of the air to refresh itself. (A recent article in the Keene Sentinel noted that in a recent survey, Keene’s air quality was worse than Boston’s). Some folks might remember when Prime Roast had their roasting operation downtown – there was a strong smell (which some of us liked and some didn’t) that took over the northern part of Main Street.
We all experience the often ten-degree drop in temperature when we return from errands in Keene (nice in the summer, challenging in the winter). And then we’re climbing up (mostly) and down into the rocky hills that comprise our town. It’s part of the town’s (and by extension, our) character. These features also impact the density of development: Nelson is a hard town for building due to the nature of the terrain. As far as I know there has never been a spec house built in Nelson – people take on the difficult task of building a new home because this is where they want to live.
Al Stoops works at Genesis, a nursing home in Keene where, several months ago, they had to find a “temporary” home for three caged parakeets. Alouette Iselin offered to house them but now, more than a (unexpected) year later, she’s ready to have them move on. Perhaps you’ve thought you wanted to have parakeets but would like to try them out before investing? These charming avians would love to keep you company for the winter. If you want to know more please contact Al directly: al.stoops@nullgmail.com
The Nelson Town Hall will be the site of a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Saturday, November 13, from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This is listed in our events calendar, but information regarding eligibility is evolving, so please check back to see if this information has been updated.
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