Any high level politician who drives himself around in his personally owned minivan is okay in my book.

There is nothing more glorious than the first warm days after winter and before the bugs have come out.

Every window in the house open, basking in the freshness.

Most likely training.

I grew up in the Lakes Region and don’t think I ever saw a rabbit in the wild.

Moved to southern NH and they are everywhere. Backyards, the park, running across the road. I found it pretty odd that they are much more noticeable in the area with such a higher population density.

The housing market is crazy here. Most 2 bedroom apartments around Merrimack will be close to $2000 a month, houses will be more.

What does “affordable” mean to you?

This flip flopping temperatures is a pain in the ass.

The warm days in the middle of winter only make the cold days worse. It doesn't need to be like it was this past weekend, but at least let us adjust to the cold.

And I despise this mud we get with the warm temperatures. I can accept mud in April when I know spring is right around the corner, but I don't want to be dealing with it in the beginning of February with two more months of snow removal hanging over my head.

Yes it’s a great picture, if it wasn’t for the car it could easily be from the 1800s.

Here’s an article I found about Mr. Southwick from shortly after he did. He also had a segment on NH Chronicle about his egg deliveries.

I mean it’s definitely worth it if you can afford it. Plenty of brews and jams in that area, you’ll have to travel a little bit more for skiing and stuff though.

If you’re looking at the Seacoast, bring your pocketbook.

Looks like Mr. Southwick’s wagon. He used to have a farm in Northfield and deliver fresh eggs with a horse and buggy just like this. They named the local elementary school after him when he donated the land it was built on.

Varies from person to person, but generally above the notches.

Survived so far. It still has a long road to recovery.

>According to an affidavit

It wasn't leaked to the press, the quotes are from the court paperwork.

Apparently it’s too much woods for that guy…

That can be a benefit though, as many call departments will pay for the training you need to be a full time firefighter.

I was originally an Intermediate so I just had to take the AEMT transition class. EMT-I wasn’t terribly difficult, more involved than basic but not crazy.

OP just be aware that not all departments will pay for your AEMT. It is a base job requirement at mine so it's on you to get certified before the end of your probation.

1. Pay scales for Firefighters generally run from ~$18 on the low side of bottom step to ~$30 on the high end of top step depending on departments. Some places give stipend pay for certain certifications as well. You can use this link to compare union contracts in different municipalities. Generally the further south and east you go, the more competitive the pay.

2. Every sizable department runs 4 shifts in either 1 on/2 off/1 on/4 off, 1 on/1 off/1 on/5 off or 1 on/3 off schedules. There might be one or two left still on day/night shifts. Some small departments run 3 shifts with a 1 on/2 off schedule with Kelly days. The smallest full time departments are daytime only and their schedules can be fixed or rotating.

3. Everywhere is going to provide health, dental and vision insurance, just depends on how much you end up paying. Municipalities will usually cover 75% to 90% depending on the town.

4. Job security is very high. Layoffs are rare and when they happen everybody knows about it. I think the last place to lay guys off was Manchester about 12 years ago and they got hired back fairly quickly from what I remember. There has also been a sharp decrease in the number of applicants applying for positions over the last few years. Competition is starting to get getting fierce, if you are a qualified candidate with experience you can pretty much get hired anywhere in the state right now.

5. Look through the union contracts I posted and check out vacation and sick time accrual and usage. It can vary from place to place.

6. One big thing you left out is EMS. With the exception of Manchester, Nashua and Rochester most decent sized departments operate transporting ambulances. If that is one of the less appealing aspects of the job you should look in one of those places. For places that do run ambulances, AEMT is more or less a requirement (especially among smaller departments) and as always, paramedics are preferred.

I realize that I didn't steer you toward "the best New Hampshire fire department" but everything is subjective and depends on what kind of vibes you want.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Not a store, a large distribution warehouse.

Amazon pulled out of that project a while ago. Supposedly it’s Target now.

In theory yes, but the further south you go on the Merrimack the more dams you will encounter.

You would also need to find places to camp for the night.

Do not make Mt. Washington your first winter hike. A snapshot of the weather condition that are common this time of year:

Summit Forecast for daytime Tuesday, November 8th 2022:

Precipitation: chance of snow showers early, accumulation of a trace to 1 inch.

High: Upper teens

Wind Chill: Rising to 5-10° below zero

Winds: NW at 60-70 MPH with gusts up to 100 MPH early, decreasing to 50-69 MPH with gusts up to 75 MPH.

Source: www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/higher-summit-forecast.aspx

I repeat: DO NOT MAKE MT. WASHINGTON YOUR FIRST WINTER HIKE.

Definitely don’t see that very often!