The Blackfly Quarterly is published four times a year, roughly in the middle of February, May, August, and November.

Most of the articles published also appear here on the Nelson In Common website, but we know people still enjoy reading a print newsletter. https://nelsonincommon.org/the-black-fly-quarterly/ Below are library articles that you may read here.

The Black Fly Express is your weekly link to what’s happening in Nelson and Munsonville, providing community news, reminders of Events from the Nelson In Common calendar, and links to articles and other new content on this website.

https://nelsonincommon.org/the-black-fly-express/

Windsor Chairs at Nelson Library by Kris Finnegan

The Nelson Library has five sack-back Windsor chairs. These same chairs were already in the old library building when I started working there in 1990. I've been trying to learn more about them.

After contacting a couple of Historical societies with no results. I went to the internet and found one possible match, a chair made by William Leavens & Co., a Boston furniture maker active between around 1874 and 1930. Their 1906 catalog lists a similar chair called the “Cottage Chair No. 1776.” The catalog features both illustrations and photographs of their furniture. The library chairs have a partial label on them indicating this company. The printing on the bottom is 1775, not 1776.

About Windsor Chairs

Windsor chairs have a solid wooden seat with the legs and back spindles inserted into holes in the seat, unlike many other chairs where the back and legs are one continuous piece. The seat is often carved into a shallow “saddle” shape for comfort. The legs and spindles are typically turned on a lathe, and the back (and sometimes the arms) are made from steam-bent wood. These chairs were usually painted to hide the different types of wood used in their construction.

The design likely originated in England in the 16th century, evolving from simple stick-back chairs. The first recorded use of the term “Windsor chair” was in 1718. The chairs became widely produced in Buckinghamshire, especially in High Wycombe, and were shipped from the town of Windsor, which is how they got their name.

When making a traditional Windsor chair, three types of craftsmen were involved:

  • The bodger (made legs and stretchers in the woods),

  • The benchman (made the seat and other sawn parts),

  • The framer (assembled and finished the chair).

Windsor chairs were brought to North America by English settlers, with the first American versions appearing in Philadelphia around 1730.

Chair Types and Construction

There are about seven main styles of Windsor chairs, including the sack-back, which is what the Nelson Library has. These chairs rely on a thick seat for strength, with legs set at angles for support. English chairs often used elm for the seat because of its strength, while American versions used softer woods like pine or poplar, which are easier to carve.

A key feature of Windsor chairs is their strong joints: the legs and spindles are driven into the seat and secured with wedges, creating a durable connection even if glue fails. The glue fails often on the Nelson library chairs. We keep a bottle of wood glue and bungee cords to repair them.

Keeping it Brief at the Nelson Library ( Short Story Collection)

At the library, we know reading preferences vary: some relish digging into Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend tetralogy, or Hillary Mantel’s three-volume tale of Thomas Cromwell and the Tudor Court. Others want something briefer: a spine-chilling tale by Poe, or a brief romantic interlude with Maeve Binchy.

The library has always kept short story collections on the shelves, by authors famous and obscure. But until now, finding them amidst the rows of adult fiction has been challenging.

No more! We have pulled together our short story volumes into two simple shelves, just below the Agricultural Commission’s Seed Library (see photo). There you will find a little something for a wide variety of tastes:

  • A complete Sherlock Holmes, plus short story collections by Martin Walker, Ruth Rendell and Louise Penny for mystery fans;

  • Tales of the strange and unnerving by Stephen King or Neil Gaiman;

  • Classic tales for lit majors by Conrad, Chekhov, Stephen Crane or Flannery O’Connor; and

  • Contemporary short fictions by Margaret Atwood, Sherman Alexie, Russell Banks, Alice Munro or Elizabeth Strout.

Are we missing your favorite author? Let us know what you enjoy reading, and help our collection grow! And if you do want to tackle Ferrante or Mantel, their volumes await you on our shelves.

Jeff Taylor

Library Dogbody

Buzzed About Bees by Jen Pepin

Excitement was in the air as Rick Church took the stage Monday at the opening session of the Nelson Library’s Summer Reading program. Fully outfitted in his bee suit, he introduced us to the book that started it all, Winnie the Pooh. Rick recalled being mesmerized as a small child at the idea of a bear holding a balloon to rise up into the tree to collect honey from a hive. Today, he labels his honey “Winnie’s Gold” based on A.A. Milne’s childhood story.

Most people have developed an admiration for bees, understanding how hard they work and how essential they are to pollinating the trees and plants that form the foundation of our ecosystem. Rick’s presentation greatly added to our understanding and made us even more in awe of the wondrous bee. We learned of the various types of bees and the roles they play. Some worker bees focus on building the honeycomb, others nursing the larvae, and still others fanning the nectar to evaporate the water and produce honey. Some bees guard the hive from other bees who are always looking to steal honey. Foraging bees collect nectar and pollen (primarily from trees) within a one to two mile radius delivering and foraging all day long. 
The intelligence and non-stop work of the queen was far beyond what I had ever imagined; particularly when Rick explained that the queen bee lays two to three thousand eggs every twenty four hours, which equates to one egg a minute, without rest.

One question from a younger attendees: “Does laying the eggs hurt the queen bee like it hurts a woman?”Rick: “That’s the only question I don’t know the answer to.”

We learned that the bees are fastidiously clean and during overwintering, wait several weeks through the coldest weather to relieve themselves. During this time they vibrate their wings and body to keep the core of the hive and queen warmed to a temperature of around 90 degrees! This during even the coldest of New Hampshire winters. Conversely, during heat spells when the temperature rises above 90 degrees, the house bees use their wings to cool the hive.

Rick kept his audience of young and old fascinated with his gentle respect and care for the beehive, his adventures of outsmarting bears, and his vast knowledge of all things bees. The Nelson Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program “Color My World With Gardening! GROW BY READING!” has a full schedule of events planned. Visit their website to find out how to participate!  https://www.nelsonlibrary.org/srp2025

Winnie's Gold, Raw Nelson Honey, gathered by bees from flowers near Nelson Village. Pound jars $9, two pound jars $15. Call Rick Church at 847-3206