Musings while baking pie on a beautiful July day

We just finished up a stretch of unusually hot July weather. We shopped at Adams last night and John caught a glimpse of Rhubarb and his request to me was, Strawberry Rhubarb pie? While mixing the dough this morning I wondered what our mothers and grandmothers did about baking during the hot summer days in the 20th century. The only solution I could muster was that they baked very early in the morning, before the heat of the day set in.           

                                                                                                                                                                   My mom, Winnie Davis Fallon, would make an apple pie now and then. Truthfully, she was more of a chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookie kind of baker. I honed my pie making skills at the elbow of my mother-in-law, Annie Bianco Mower. As far as I am concerned, Annie made an apple pie worthy of all the ribbons that could ever be awarded at a state fair. Of course, if you knew her, she was modest as hell and would always try to “improve” her dough recipe or the apple pie, based on what one of her girlfriends did with their dough. Don’t change a thing, was our usual retort when Annie would ponder if perhaps Gertrude Avery had a better way of making apple pie. Annie’s pie baking mentor was her husband’s aunt Hazel Mower Riseley. They were neighbors on Maple Lane back when Annie had her hands full raising a family and keeping up with her husband Al’s different endeavors. 

  Excerpted from American Tapestry, the Mowers of Maple Lane by Janine Fallon Mower pg 94 “On holiday weekends, Uncle Maurice would take his great nephew John on the milk runs with him. Maurice would have to double up on his route on these occasions, so an extra pair of hands and young legs would make a difference as Maurice was in his early 60’s John would stay over in Maurice and Hazel’s little house, once occupied by Noah and Catherine Mower, his great- great grandparents. Sleepy eyed John would come down the stair way in the very early in the morning to a hearty breakfast prepared by Aunt Hazel. “The grandparents we never had” She would kid her great nephew as he always ate about 36 “dollars’ worth” of her tasty silver dollar size pancakes. Once their appetites had been satisfied, the two set out on the home milk delivery route. Maurice’s other helper would be his grandson, Mark Riseley. On many occasions, Mark would ride along with his grandfather as Maurice traveled his route that included homes way out on Route 28. One of Hazel’s other specialties was Rhubarb pie. When in season, you were guaranteed a slice of pie would be waiting for a hungry visitor.

 Aunt Hazel became a mentor for city girl Anne Mower. As the vegetables in the garden began to ripen, the two women would work side by side readying the harvest. Most of the work was done while sitting on a long board placed atop two slabs of bluestone that were resting just outside Hazel’s back door. Any given bright sunny day one might find them sharing time together “doing beans” just freshly picked from the garden. The Mower children were either playing in the yard nearby or attending school. The women would put the beans in a ceramic bowl filled with cold water. Then, the beans would be swished around in the water, gather up by the handful and the excess water would be shaken off. The beans would be left to air dry on a cotton cloth. Once the beans were cleaned, they would be prepared for canning. They both were known to also put-up quarts and quarts of tomatoes and peaches.”

 Available through the author on weekends at Mower’s Saturday flea market 845-679-6744 or at the Historical Society Book shop at 20 Comeau Drive on weekends 1-5 . historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org

Farmer Steve

Each weekend for 36 years, Farmer Steve has made the trip from Columbia County with his van jammed packed full of seasonally fresh fruits and veggies to sell at his farm stand at Mower’s Saturday Sunday flea market. Steve also carries a wide variety of herbs, flowers and vegetable plants in season. An avid N.Y. Met fan, Farmer Steve is in constant motion. He usually has a story or two to share about his escapades protecting his crops from summer thunderstorms or the logistics of watering his crops during a drought. Sixteen years ago, Steve was part of a crew of flea vendors who pitched the idea of a two-day market to John and Janine. There had been a stretch of rainy weather and as the flea was Saturdays only, the flea kept getting cancelled. It was decided to commit to the two days, thus creating a built-in rain day. You will find him every weekend under the beautifully grand old Maple tree, on Maple Lane in Woodstock. The photo and article are from a 1997 Daily Freeman newspaper article.

Wood Carving at Mower's Flea Market

Arlene and Roger have been setting up at Mower’s Saturday/ Sunday flea for four years. Roger has a primary interest in wood spirits, and that was one incentive to start carving, about fifteen years ago. Roger tells us that every tree has a spirit associated with it. Wood spirits bring good luck to a home. Arlene started wood carving not long after Roger. They both belong to the Catskill Mountain Wood Carving group. Being a member of the group is a great way to learn and share about the work that you are doing. They use found bark from the cotton wood tree to do their carvings on. The painted pieces that they feature are on bass wood. Roger and Arlene agree that the process of carving can be a form of relaxation. Arlene likes the creativity associated with the carving hobby. She likes the idea of bringing nature or a natural product into everyday life. Roger also plays guitar and can make basic guitar repairs. You may find a newly repaired guitar at their booth for sale. The couple also has beautiful walking sticks and other wood carved items at their booth. They also feature a collection of decorative skulls. The couple sets up at the flea market every Saturday and Sunday.

Susan has been selling at Mower's Saturday Sunday flea market for 43 years

Sue has been a vendor at Mower’s Saturday Sunday Flea market in Woodstock for 43 years. At the beginning, she didn’t set up her booth every weekend. Now, she is one of the vendors who returns every weekend. Sue’s booth is down the Maple Lane side of the flea market field. She carries a smattering of antiques, vintage clothing and jewelry. During the summer season she carries a great supply of luau shirts. Sue is also one of our makers at the market. She creates many of the jewelry pieces that she has for sale. Over the past few years, Sue has started bringing her own art work. Sue loves all aspects of selling at the flea market, which includes the buying, creating and selling every weekend at the flea market in Woodstock.

Barbara and Lazlo at Mower's Saturday Sunday flea market

Barbara and Lazlo’s set up is located on the Maple Lane side of the flea market. They have a great spot in the shade that gives them a front row seat to observe all the visitors to the flea market. They are one of the vendors who return every weekend. Over the course of 24 years setting up in Woodstock, N.Y., the couple has fine tuned the items they have for sale. They now focus on turquoise jewelry that they bring back from Oklahoma along with a curated selection of cowboy boots and cowboy hats. Barbara also focuses on fine gold jewelry and vintage sterling silver jewelry. Lazlo carries a small selection of pocket knives. Barbara sells select fur coats and fur wraps year-round, however the furs make their seasonal appearance on the flea field after the Labor Day Holiday. Barbara enjoys being able to offer fine gold jewelry for sale at a reasonable price. Barbara can be reached on FB as Woodstock Jewelry Lady

Sue and Tonshi Mountain products at Mower's Saturday Sunday Flea Market

Sue has been with Mower’s Saturday Sunday flea market in Woodstock NY since 2008. She is one of our vendors who returns every weekend. Her focus is on wire wrap gemstone jewelry, a wide variety of incense sticks, rocks and crystals. Her most favorite medium to work with are the rocks and crystals, many of which she incorporates into her wire wrap jewelry. Sue can be found down the Maple Lane side of the flea market. View her online store at tonshimountain.com or email her at tonshimountain@yahoo.com

Peace Signs at Mowers Saturday Sunday flea

Gary has been working the flea market for almost a decade. He started out as an antiquer in 2015 selling collectible items including an incredible selection of Loony Toon drink glasses and other advertising memorabilia. One year he decided to change his whole booth over and he became the maker of Peace Signs. The peace signs are now his most popular and fastest selling items. Artistically inclined, Gary enjoys the creative process and especially likes trying out new items. He is very skilled at determining what the public is looking for and then creating an item to fill the interest. Gary is also one of our Woodstock Festival era historians. He has a great depth of knowledge of the 1960’s era music scene in Woodstock and enjoys talking with people about that piece of the history of Woodstock, N.Y. Gary sets up every weekend and you can find him down the Maple Lane side of the field. Gary is one of our vendors who returns every weekend.

Stephen and Julia and Blue Dot Mandalas and Antiques

Stephen and Julia first appeared on the Mower flea field c 1994 as Blue Dot Books and Blue Dot ceramic tile and designs. Stephen was pictured in a Kingston Daily Freeman article about the flea market in 1997, standing in front of his Blue Dot Books yellow school bus. Julia, a very talented artist, would be found at her booth with her iconography, working under the name Universal Saints. Two decades later, Julia, now known as the woman who creates the beautiful Blue Dot Mandalas on perfectly rounded stones, continues to enjoy the creative experience her art work brings to her. The work is similar to her iconography in the past, however as she says, “Wow, imagine working with stones as old as the planet.” Julia can be found at https://www.facebook.com/bluedotmandalas Stephen has changed the focus of his booth to feature antiques and specially selected vinyl records. He enjoys the process of searching for the more refined items that he knows his customers are looking for. Stephen’s discerning eye can expertly spot an item at a sale or an auction. You can find Stephen and Julia every Saturday and Sunday in the shade, under the Blue Dot umbrella. Stephen and Julia are vendors who return every weekend.

Walter Mower Expands His Farm Lot on Maple Lane

Walter Mower's Fruit Trees 

The South East corner of Walter Mower's Maple lane property. 

Excerpted from American Tapestry the Mowers of Maple Lane pg 65

Walter expanded his holdings on Maple Lane with the purchase of an area known as “the Higgins lot” in 1914. This piece of land was contiguous to a section that was still part of the proposed “Deming Addition.” There was a constant running feud between Walter and Dr. Deming. It seems as though Walter wanted to plow up and farm the whole area. Dr. Deming insisted on putting signs up in an area he believed to belong to him, continually annoying Walter. Walter would eventually plow up and plant as much land as he could on Maple Lane, including the area known as the “Higgins lot: and additional land he would subsequently purchase from Herrick. In addition to his other crops, the farm field was now alive with cherry, quince and apple trees, asparagus and strawberry plants.

In the 21st century, the entire field is used by John and Janine Mower for Mower's Saturday Sunday fleamarket.  

Copies of American Tapestry the Mowers of Maple lane are available for purchase from Janine Fallon Mower at the flea market or call  845-679-6744.  $ 16.00 each includes tax.