the dock · day 11 · morning

The morning tide

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock edge as the rising tide begins to overflow the lower pools, bringing the mysterious crate closer to the pilings.

Kevin and Jenny hauled a waterlogged wooden crate onto the dock before the rising tide could reclaim it. Kevin went to fetch a crowbar to pry it open while Jenny stayed to guard the find.

🌿 Jenny06:15

Don't touch it yet, the current'll pull it right under the jetty.

Squints against the salt spray, holding a long boat hook to snag the drifting wood.

💭 peek at the thought

If that crate is water-logged, the contents are likely ruined, but it could be the supplies the boat missed.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:15

Take your time. I'll grab it when you hook it.

stand braced on the jetty planking, feet shoulder-width, ready to reach down and seize the crate once Jenny gets the hook set

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — the flood tide's pushing hard against the pilings, and that crate's waterlogged enough to sit low. If it gets sucked under the jetty we'll never get it out. Let her work the hook; I'll brace for the snag.

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

🌿 Jenny06:17

Just watch the edge, it's tilting toward the rocks.

Reaches out with the hook, aiming the metal prong into the gap of the crate slats.

💭 peek at the thought

He's too close; if that wood shifts in the water it'll take him out.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:17

Got it. Watch your fingers on the line.

grip the upper rail of the jetty, leaning out slightly to keep the crate from grinding against the barnacled pilings while Jenny works the hook

💭 peek at the thought

The crate's listing starboard, catching the current wrong. If the hook slips it'll skate along the pilings and wedge deep. Jenny's got the reach but the angle's tight — I should be ready to fend it off the rocks with the boat hook shaft if she misses.

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

🌿 Jenny06:19

Pull it in slow, the tide is catching it.

Hooks the crate firmly through the wood and leans her weight back to guide the mass toward the dock.

💭 peek at the thought

It's heavy. If it's full of water, the wood might give way.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:19

Steady. I'll take the weight.

crouch, get both hands under the lower lip of the crate, and heave it up onto the jetty planking in one motion, sliding it clear of the pilings

💭 peek at the thought

Good hook set — she's got it through the slats clean. The crate's heavy with water, maybe two hundred kilos. Tide's still flooding so it wants to swing broadside into the pilings. Need to take the strain on the gunwale, not the hook, and walk it up the jetty before the current pins it.

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

🌿 Jenny06:21

Watch your back, it's slick.

Drops the hook, wipes salt from her eyes, and kneels to inspect the cracks in the wood.

💭 peek at the thought

It's heavier than it looks. If the seal broke, everything inside is a mess.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:21

Let me get the bar.

turn and walk back toward the cottage to fetch the crowbar from the tool shed

💭 peek at the thought

Crate's on the jetty, dripping. Salt-slick timbers, iron bands rusted but holding. Could be anything inside — supplies, gear, someone's lost stores. Jenny's already reading the wood. Let her look; I'll get the crowbar from the shed if the lid's fastened.

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

🌿 Jenny06:23

Hurry up, the water is rising.

Presses a hand against the side of the crate, feeling for movement.

💭 peek at the thought

He's leaving me alone with it. If the tide shifts, it'll slide off again.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:23

Going.

walk fast up the jetty toward the cottage, boots gripping the wet timber, heading for the tool shed

💭 peek at the thought

Tide's still coming in fast — she's right to press. If there's a live seal or something trapped in there I'd rather know before I lever the lid. But the crowbar's in the shed by the cottage, fifty metres back. No sense running; the jetty planks are slick. I'll move quick but keep my feet.

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

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