Motorcycle Flat!

Well, Dave got a flat on his way home from work on Friday. Thankfully, it was pretty close to home. His rear tire went flat. He had to sort of "power walk" it the rest of the way home.

He picked up a screw. Why there was a screw on the road, who knows? We have had van flats, too, from screws.

Over the weekend, he got the back tire off. His back brake had started to scrape a bit, too, so this provided an opportunity to look at that, too. It is way too early for his brake to be so worn, so we don't know what would make it wear so fast. The pads are pretty much gone and even the rotor may need to be replaced. We hope not.



His motorcycle is so low that Elias had to get big rocks to put under it to get it high enough to get the jack under it.










The front wheel is braced with rocks to keep the front tire from turning.




The poor guys were working in the sun. He did not think about moving it into the shade first! So, I took pity on them. While Dave went up to the RV for a minute, I had Elias help me rig something up to provide shade. Dave helped us finish it up when he came back down.

There was actually a bit of a breeze, but you couldn't appreciate it when in the direct sun.



He is taking the wheel into a local shop so that it can be balanced. The tire is not that worn, so we are hoping the bead was not damaged and that we can save it. We are also hoping that the rotor is OK. He is not so sure.

With gas prices, we are dependent upon his taking his bike to work. Yet, if we need a new tire and rotor, this is going to wipe us out. Actually, I don't know how much a rotor is. I am hoping we have enough to get another one, if it is needed. Any way you look at it, Yahweh God will provide.

Of course, right now, it would sure be nice if He provided for me to get MY bike fixed. I miss riding, plus the three of us can take two bikes cheaper than we can take the van anywhere. Besides, the bikes are a whole lot more FUN!!!

It also would not hurt to have a back up bike when things like this happen. Although, Dave on a Virago 535 looks a bit odd. He really needs a bigger bike than that!

One Flat Tire & Three Blessings!

Ahhh...rural living. It really hits you when you have a flat tire! We don't have road service...can't afford it. I had an appointment in "town" after Dave got home. Afterward, I ran into the grocery store. I came back out to a flat. Ugh!

Naturally, the first thing I did was to call Dave. He was about 15 miles away with no way to get to me. Thankfully, it was still light out. He tried to call some people who might be able to help me...no small feat since we are still so new to the area.

In the meantime, I went back inside, at my honey's suggestion, to see if anyone inside could help. Sure enough, they sent a fine, strapping young lad out to help. He seemed more than willing. BUT, the back of the van was so filled with stuff all tangled together that we could not find the jack handle. In fact, we had difficulty getting to the jack itself.

Well, when we could not find the handle, there was nothing he could do, so he went to call the official guy who does this for people. Thing is...we were broke. I had just bought groceries and had nothing left. So, I had to tell him to call the guy back and tell him not to come.

Now, having PTSD, it does not take a whole lot to push me over the emotional edge. So, here I sit in the parking lot, with a flat tire and groceries, on the phone with Dave, toolboxes on the ground. Needless to say, I was in tears and not at my best. Dave had been calling people...but no one was available. They were either at work, sick or just plain unreachable.

I saw this guy pull up and get out. He has on a camo jacket and heads into the store. My first thought, because he pulled up right next to me, was that maybe it was the guy that was called. But he walks by me and into the store. I stood at the back of the van trying to dig through stuff and get it organized in the hopes of finding the jack handle.

Next thing I know I hear a voice behind me asking if I could use some assistance. I tried to get a grip and turned around to see the guy in the camo jacket with another guy standing there. It turned out that they work together. Through my tears I just told them that I had no money. They said it did not matter and would I like them to change my tire. Wow!

I was floored...and so grateful. One guy did not live far from there, so he went home and got a floor jack while the other one started to loosen the lug nuts. While they were working on the tire, a friend who used to manage the RV park where we stayed before we got onto the land showed up. Dave had gotten hold of her, but her hubby had the flu. She figured she would at least come and stay with me until help could be found. So, I had three people there with me, one of which I knew. What a blessing!