X-Rays, Castles, Ferrys and Water Falls

I didn't mention that a week ago Friday I banged my knee really good playing softball. I dove for a ball in centerfield and landed on it but good! I even felt myself going into a bit of shock as it swelled nearly instantly.

It killed me for a few days but there didn't seem to be any stability issues so I figured it would subside after a time. My concern actually was that I cracked or chipped the patella but it wasn't terribly sensitive to the pain so I went on with it.

On Saturday, after review of its purple passion hue, my buddy told me he knew a guy who dislocated his kneecap and needed surgery after surgery. That caused me some concern. I hadn't really thought of that angle but thought that was a possibility.

Then, later that evening, I banged it ever so gently and thought I would throw up. I was very nauseous and in major agony.

I awoke Sunday morning determined to get it checked out even though I had plans for a nice family day. I went to the nearby walk-in center but they weren't going to be open for a few more hours and not wanting to waste the whole day, I went to the emergency room. I was VERY impressed with how streamlined and organized the whole process was at Manchester Memorial Hospital and kudos to their staff for getting me in, x-rayed, checked out and released in 1 hour exactly.

It turns out I irritated the Bursa Sack at the knee which caused the swelling and pain. Basically, time and ice and elevation (all of which I was doing) was the remedy so I left with peace of mind that it wasn't anything terribly serious despite the pain I was in.

After getting home and going out for a lunch in which the three of us absolutely gorged ourselves we took the 45 mile trip to Gillette Castle. I had visited as a kid but Mrs. Blogger and The Little One had never been. We did the interior tour which was pretty cool. It was owned and built by actor, playwright, director William Gillette for about 1 million dollars back around 1914 or so. Gillette is most famous for playing Sherlock Holmes in numerous plays. Amazingly, he was earning about $315,000 tax-free dollars at the time. Anyway, its a fascinating place with terrific views of the beautiful Connecticut River.

My picture of the castle

The view from the Castle

Next we boarded the nearby ferry to cross the river. There are two ferries across the Connecticut river and this one has been in service for over two hundred years. I was surprised it was only $3 too!

Didn't have to wait long at all

View looking up at the Castle from the Ferry

Then we were off to Kent Falls. Not a short drive at all, but its the highest waterfall in Connecticut and, again, I had gone as a kid, but Mrs. B. and the Little One had never been. We got there around 7pm and enjoyed hiking around (sorta enjoyed as I'm on a gimpy knee) until dusk. The Little One even got to play in the water for a bit.

Another cell phone snapped pic

Just an all around terrific day spent with the family, and except for gas, it was really inexpensive.