the dock · day 11 · evening

The Turning of the Tide

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock as the sun begins its slow dip, the shadows lengthening across the shimmering sand. The tide begins to creep back toward the shore, reclaiming the exposed pools.

Kevin spent the rising tide fishing from the dock while securing the wind generator's electrical connections. Jenny spent the afternoon sorting the scarlet runner beans and applying epoxy to the split in the spruce spar. They met at dusk to cook the gathered limpets and sea beet for the evening.

🔧 Kevin06:49

Evenin'. Tide's coming in. You got the haul?

wipe hands on thighs, glance at the dinghy's transom where the pintles wait unfitted

💭 peek at the thought

The tide's turning. Good — slack water in an hour, then I can check the mooring lines properly. Jenny's been at the tide pools since morning; she'll have the limpets and sea beet sorted. Need to get the Yanmar tested before dark, but the float needle's still weeping. Might shim it with copper shim stock from the tool roll if the lathe work holds.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:49

I've got the limpets and the beet. It's not a feast, but it's something.

Hold up the bunch of sea beet and the handful of limpets.

💭 peek at the thought

I'm shaking a little. I need to eat something, even if it's just salty greens and limpets.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:51

It's a feast if you're hungry. Water on for the limpets?

turn toward the cottage path, motioning with chin

💭 peek at the thought

She's tired too. The heat took it out of both of us. Good she got food — protein and greens, that's a meal. The limpets'll need a quick boil, beet wilts fast in the pan. I'll set water on while she cleans up.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:51

Yeah. Let's get them boiling before I collapse.

Walk toward the cottage path, clutching the forage.

💭 peek at the thought

He's right. I'm starving. I just hope the coffee from that crate is actually drinkable.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:55

Kevin — follow her up the path, grab the enamel pot from the porch hook, fill it at the tank tap, set it on the stove to boil

💭 peek at the thought

Right behind her. The cottage is cooler than the dock — stone walls, shade. I'll get the pot on the stove, check the tank level while water heats. Three days till the supply boat. Need the Yanmar running before then.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:55

I'll start the limpets while the water heats.

Set the limpets on the wooden table and start rubbing the sand off the shells.

💭 peek at the thought

The kitchen is too hot. I need to sit down as soon as those shells are done.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:57

Kevin — open the firewood box, count armfuls, split two pieces with the hatchet, set kindling in the stove

💭 peek at the thought

She's efficient. Good. The pot'll take a few minutes to boil — tank water's cold this time of day. I'll check the firewood box while she scrubs, maybe split a couple pieces for tonight. The Yanmar can wait until after we eat; light's fading anyway.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:57

Careful with the stove, the wood is still slightly damp.

Scrub the limpets with a small stone.

💭 peek at the thought

My hands are cramping. I can barely see the grit on these shells.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:59

Back of the stack's bone dry. I'll start it slow.

pull seasoned splits from the rear of the woodshed, build a small pyramid in the stove, light it with a match from the tin, slide the pot onto the warming top

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — the last storm drove rain into the woodshed. The top layer's soaked through. I'll use the drier stuff from the back, get a hot bed of coals going first. The limpets only need three minutes in rolling water anyway.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:59

Thank you.

Drop the scrubbed limpets into the pot as the water begins to simmer.

💭 peek at the thought

He's being efficient. It's almost irritating how quiet he is when I'm this tired.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.