Fall, Fall, Fall in Florida

Leaves, cold air, fires, etc. Up north is celebrating fall while Florida still continues it's thing. Fall for Florida is a wonderful thing. We don't have the changing of seasons, but the temps have went from the upper 90s to a comfortable low 82/84 degrees and it looks like it will be staying this way for a while. Most Floridians celebrate with the beach, sunsets and a good beer. 

Now that I have found myself a job (took me 3 months! Heimerich is still looking...) I decided to treat myself and my condo. Today I bought 3 candles from Bath and Body Works. 

Behold Nutmeg & Spice No. 1, Cranberry Woods and Sweet Cinnamon pumpkin. Right now you can get 3 mini candles for 10$. Yeah, Bath and Body works is kind of expensive, but you pay for the name. If anyone is looking to treat themselves with some good aroma therapy, these are worth the splurge. I decided to save the pumpkin one for Halloween-- this one smells the sweetest and most tempting of all 3. I decided to burn Cranberry Woods first! As a girl who was born and raised in New Jersey, I grew up very close to Double Trouble park. One of my favorite times of the year was to visit the cranberry harvest. Though the cranberry harvest didn't smell, all of the vivid colors made you imagine a smell. This candle is probably a spot on representation and brings me back to a crisp, fall day in the woods in New Jersey. Boy, do I miss it. If you want to treat yourself, go for this! 

A fine line with Campfollowers

Even Captain Ewald himself couldn't resist commenting on the Jagers. 

"...2 Anspach Regiments each of 600 men, and a Jager company of 116. The recruits for both companies consisted of a few adventurers and experienced Jagers, and they were generally fine looking men... The Anspach Jager Company, consisting of skilled forestry Jagers who were the handsomest young men one could imagine, also arrived here." 

Sometimes, history does point to Jager units sitting on an opposite end of a spectrum. Larger Hessian units were made of a hodge-podge of men, many of lower society. It is so difficult to find research that mentions women of the Jagers specifically. What's a girl to do? 

My search will be on going... as usual. 

There's always room for improving impressions historically speaking. 

I do believe that I miss everything about my Jager family.

Captured!

To modern day, there is a strip of land that once had makeshifts and huts overlooking the town. This place would be known as "The Hessian Camp". According to a journal written from a Johann Bense in a Brunswick unit, the Germans were tempted several times with chances of freedom. One option was to give 80 silver talers as a ransom. If he didn't have the money? Well, if a civilian decided to pay the money for him, that lucky or unlucky Hessian could expect to work for that person for 3 years. 

(A replica hut that probably looked like what they stayed in)

The second option was to join the American Army and get 8 talers as a thanks. After the end of the war, they were to be given 100 acres of land. 

Because the Hessians did not join the American Army, they were treated badly. There was not enough room and many men had to lay in the open, in any sort of weather. 

How much is really known about the camp in Reading? Not much. Modern photos reveal what is left today. 

Happy 4th

I spent my 4th of July in Cape Canaveral. It has been a wonderful break away from things, as well as some bad news for me. I got my associates degree in Maryland, and apparently Florida's transfer guidelines are more than what I have. 

I only completed 62 credits with two Ds, meanwhile Florida universities do not accept Ds and require 67 credits. I was not prepared to return to community college, especially after the age of 22. Today is a really picky and hard to deal with day for me. I am still glad to be moving to Florida, but this news is going to have me feeling down for a while.

Goodbye Stranger

On Sunday, Heimerich and I returned his gear to our unit commander. It was a good day spent in my home state. Before returning his gear, I took a picture because I'd love to have a portraiture necklace made as a souvenir for the happy 8 years of Revolutionary War reenacting I was in. There is a small running joke that the green ribbon in Heimerich's coat had become a "unit heirloom". It was something I gave to him 3 or 4 years ago, when he joined the hobby and it had made an appearance at every event. Heimerich took the ribbon off of his coat, but I'm not sure what he is going to make of it. 

On Wednesday, I'll be in Florida to start my apartment search.