{"id":13801,"date":"2025-07-12T18:47:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/?p=13801"},"modified":"2025-07-12T18:47:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:47:01","slug":"on-a-dark-and-lonely-highway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/?p=13801","title":{"rendered":"On a dark and lonely highway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday, the saw arrived about 6:00 PM. It is still in the box.
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\nI needed to clean-up where I intend to unpack and assemble it. That was delayed. Photo is from Saturday. Sunday I can do the unpacking.
\nWednesday evening is the game (P\u00e9tanque) night. There was a nearly full moon and a sunset over the Columbia River. Many lenticular (lens like) clouds became infused with orange and yellow colors.
\nFrom the house to the County Road is 2 miles of gravel. I left at 10:30 and got to White Trail road (also named Rd 5 NW). Shortly after getting on the pavement, my front left tire hit something that poked a hole in the sidewall. I heard the sound but nothing seem out-of-place \u2013 for about 3 minutes. Then the tire pressure light came on with 17 pounds, about half the normal. It continued to drop.
\nThe road is narrow blacktop with small and crumbling edges. I continued to drive on less and less tire pressure. It stabilized at 5 pounds. Essentially empty. The major concern was whether or not I would ruin the tire. At 3.5 miles a came to the entrance of a housing development near a golf course. The photo below is from Street View of Google Earth. The spot has a wide hard surface, lights, and well off the road.
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\nI used text message to tell folks I would not be notifying them when I got home. I decline the initial offer for assistance because I expected I’d be back on the road in 15 minutes. That didn’t happen.
\nThe kit in the F150 (2019 year) has a hook as shown below \u2013 except new, it is straight. I managed to get enough lift to remove the damaged tire but this piece twisted about 90 degrees, and appeared about to break.
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\nThat is when I acknowledged the need for assistance. I needed more lift to get the spare on than I did to get the blown tire off. My P\u00e9tanque partner, Phil, is a car guy and came with various tools, including a mechanic’s type floor jack. Another couple \u2013 not at the gathering that night but on the message list \u2013 also came. I didn’t have to do anything from that point on, so got my tire and gear stowed away, and watched. A short discussion about such things and “thank yous” and I was soon on my way. It was 11:30 and I had 60 miles to get home.
\nLast December I had Les Schwab install new tires, the topic of the Dec 15th post.<\/p>\n

New Tire Week<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n