Homeowner Lillian Wise watches workers from Iron Horse Roofing install a new roof on her house during yesterday’s harsh temperatures.







How cold did it get? 22-below in Concord





We are hearty souls, a big bowl of chowder or a plate of beef stew. We are Laury Clark and Isaac Newton, a pair of electrical contractors fixing lamps in three Dunkin' Donuts parking lots yesterday.

We are Lloyd Hook and his crew of six, hammering and sawing and scaling ladders to build a roof on a house along Mountain Road.

And we are Mary Hewitt, a local shop merchant walking her little Jack Russell terriers to a downtown fire hydrant . . . in her shorts.

We work, we play, we live, and the

weather doesn't always cooperate. Not here. Not yesterday. Not today, either.

Single-digit and subzero temperatures are the norm these days. Add the windchill, and even the thermometer says, "Brrrrr."

Yet there were Clark and Newton, working outside at Dunkin' Donuts on Manchester Street by 7:15 a.m., then in the South End, then on Fisherville Road. They smiled when approached.

"You do what you've got to do," said Clark, who works for Masse Electrical Contractors. "There's no sense in complaining. It's not going to change anything. I figure if it gets too cold, you can always put another layer on."

Clark, 46, wore a gray beard. A New Hampshire beard. He had a quick smile and a great outlook. "I enjoy it," he said. "I like this weather. I love being outdoors. Just dress for it and go out."

He wore those fingerless gloves, the kind that leave your fingertips exposed. Only his middle finger was completely covered, as though he wanted that finger to stand out, as though he wanted to point it at the sky and challenge the cold.

"You want a piece of me?"

"You can't wear heavy gloves," Clark said. "You can't feel anything."

Newton is 23, a sleepy-eyed snowboarder with a five o'clock shadow. He's been working with Clark for two years.

"The worst thing that bothers me is my fingers, they get so cold" Newton said. "I can't hold on to my pliers, can't seem to hold on to anything. You can't wear heavy gloves, because you're dealing with small parts. You can't be fumbling around. But you try to dress warm and do the best you can."

We do well. An ice storm knocked off our equilibrium last month, not to mention our power. Some lost their heat and lights for two weeks.



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Homeowner Lillian Wise watches workers from Iron Horse Roofing install a new roof on her house during yesterday’s harsh temperatures.




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How cold did it get? 22-below in Concord





We are hearty souls, a big bowl of chowder or a plate of beef stew. We are Laury Clark and Isaac Newton, a pair of electrical contractors fixing lamps in three Dunkin' Donuts parking lots yesterday.

We are Lloyd Hook and his crew of six, hammering and sawing and scaling ladders to build a roof on a house along Mountain Road.

And we are Mary Hewitt, a local shop merchant walking her little Jack Russell terriers to a downtown fire hydrant . . . in her shorts.

We work, we play, we live, and the

weather doesn't always cooperate. Not here. Not yesterday. Not today, either.

Single-digit and subzero temperatures are the norm these days. Add the windchill, and even the thermometer says, "Brrrrr."

Yet there were Clark and Newton, working outside at Dunkin' Donuts on Manchester Street by 7:15 a.m., then in the South End, then on Fisherville Road. They smiled when approached.

"You do what you've got to do," said Clark, who works for Masse Electrical Contractors. "There's no sense in complaining. It's not going to change anything. I figure if it gets too cold, you can always put another layer on."

Clark, 46, wore a gray beard. A New Hampshire beard. He had a quick smile and a great outlook. "I enjoy it," he said. "I like this weather. I love being outdoors. Just dress for it and go out."

He wore those fingerless gloves, the kind that leave your fingertips exposed. Only his middle finger was completely covered, as though he wanted that finger to stand out, as though he wanted to point it at the sky and challenge the cold.

"You want a piece of me?"

"You can't wear heavy gloves," Clark said. "You can't feel anything."

Newton is 23, a sleepy-eyed snowboarder with a five o'clock shadow. He's been working with Clark for two years.

"The worst thing that bothers me is my fingers, they get so cold" Newton said. "I can't hold on to my pliers, can't seem to hold on to anything. You can't wear heavy gloves, because you're dealing with small parts. You can't be fumbling around. But you try to dress warm and do the best you can."

We do well. An ice storm knocked off our equilibrium last month, not to mention our power. Some lost their heat and lights for two weeks.