Little Berries, thoughts of traveling, and the beautiful Palatine Church...

The week has been busy with sorting elderberries  baking and getting ready for our little berry event.  In my heart however, I wanted to be on the road visiting my favorite places for fall travel...The one love the most is the old Palatine Church on the historic Mohawk trail to Albany near Nelliston.  I take people to it whenever we are driving by.... it is probably the most notable German Palatine structure in upstate New York.

Rising off the highway it stands on a hill near a spot that was once the settlement of Fox’s Mills. The limestone church dates to 1770 when it was erected by the subscription and the labor of a number of families in the area. The Garoga Creek, which flowed near by, provided waterpower for a number of mills and businesses in the small community, now gone which is today called Palatine Church.

Most notable among the families of the area was that of Hendrick Nellis who not only donated the land it stands on, but helped build the church with other community members.

Nellis and his grandson however remained loyal to the Crown at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and had to flee to Canada. Other members of the family remained so typical of the division of loyalties at that time.

History has it recorded that in October of 1780, when the Tory forces under Sir John Johnson dropped down from Canada with the allied Native Americans to burn the farms and harvest of the valley, the church was saved by a British Officer who stopped it saying he had promised Nellis.

The site is also a historic marker site as it was the camp of the American Army under General Van Rensselaer after winning the Battle of Clock’s Field retreated to this site to make camp. Van Rensselaer refused to pursue the Tory forces, an act for which he was later tried for treason.

Today the church has been restored including its famous raised pulpit with sounding board and has had its organ rebuilt by noted organ builder Robert S. Rowland. Rowland built it in the style of old colonial organs. The inside has many historic artifacts on display as well as a rare 13 star American Flag that was found during the renovation.

Visitors from all over the world come to what is today call “The Shrine of Lutheranism in the Mohawk Valley”, and all passing it on Route 5 still admire its Colonial beauty! I love it!
For more history and videos visit my website at www.historystarttproductions.com.

Yes folks.. it is the end of summer...Labor Day... and Elderberry time! Whoo Hoo!

Well folks it is that time of year again...yes "Elderberry Time".  A time when full grown older women wander roadsides and hills looking for and picking bushes with Elderberries on them.

Went over to Pat Utter's porch with Cathy Nagle the other dayand there was Pat sitting in a chair with the largest bowl I have ever seen on her lap... picking the little stems off of what seemed like a million Elderberries.

For those who do not know what they look like they are miniature berries attached to a stalk with miniature stems that you have to pull off....time consuming...Oh Yeah!

My friends Nellie and Pauline would go picking and then spend hours with TWEEZERS picking the little stems off of them...hours and hours of work.  They were also so possesive of their patch of bushes you had to be "in" to know where they were, and of who got the berries from those bushes.

One year we all went Elderberrying (as I called it) and it was a banner year.  They totted home bags and bags of the tiny fruit... and so did I.  I also put together the Labor Day picnic out in my side yard and all the neighbors gathered for the last big hurrah of the summer... with yes... fresh elderberry pie as dessert.

During the festivities a friend Marlene stopped and seeing the elderberry pie exclaimed that her mother was just talking about them...too bad she could no longer get around...and Marlene wished she could get some...so her and her mom could do their tradition of cleaning and baking a pie. So I gave her my bag that they could clean together and bake with...  This gesture was not welcomed by my neighbors...in unison "Why my nerve giving away elderberries from "their" patch!"  I was shocked.

So not wanting to offend I climbed Lebanon Hill and went to where I was told there was a stash and picked two bags full and brought them to then as a peace offering...where as tradition had it, Pauline sat for hours pulling the little stems with covetous glee....

I am sure that everywhere in this rural area there are home freezers filled with berries that will never be used...but that seem like the thing to have stored...

Pat said, "And they are FREE!"  Hmmmm $3.89 a gallon for gas to run around in your car to get them, hours cleaning and storing, electricity to freeze them...but free for the picking...AND OF COURSE....TRADITION!

Here is a link to my other article and below a poem....

http://backstreetmary.blogspot.com/2013/08/memories-elderberry-timefriends-in.html

Elderberry Time

As August’s sun heats the hills,

And balmy breezes fill the air,

We set about in bright green color, 

Searching for the fruit of summer there.

Up steep hills, across the pasture, 

Down against the forest’s wall, 

We seek a tiny little prize: 

The smallest berry of them all.

Then about a tattered building,

In a patch thick and tall,

We spot the booty we were seeking 

And try quite quick to pick them all.

The gleaming dark purple color 

Gives a clue to what they’ll be: 

For in a pie or in a bottle, 

The fruit is the “Elderberry”.