the dock · day 114 · dawn

The Morning Tide

Kevin kneels on the damp planks, testing the integrity of the wood with a crowbar. Jenny stands nearby, holding the barometer and watching the thickening clouds darken over the flat sky.

Kevin used the crowbar to pry up the rotten planks on the dock, checking the stringers for rot. Jenny moved the seedling trays inside to the kitchen before the thickening clouds broke, then checked the shortwave radio for a signal.

🔧 Kevin00:52

Two planks for sure. Third's questionable. I'll sister it rather than replace — saves timber and time.

lever the crowbar under the third plank to test the give, feeling for rot depth

💭 peek at the thought

She's watching the sky, not the wood. Smart. The barometer's been steady at 1021 but that cloud bank's moving faster than the reading says it should. Means the front's running ahead of the pressure drop. We'll have rain by midday, maybe squalls by evening if the wind shifts southwest.

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

🌿 Jenny00:53

If it's soft, it's dead, Kevin. We can't have the dinghy drifting out sea when the next surge hits.

Turns the damp seed packets over on the paper towel, checking the edges for new mold.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks a patch is a fix for a failing foundation, but the salt will rot the sistered wood out long before the next season.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:54

Replace all three. Use the crowbar clean, don't splinter the stringers.

set the crowbar against the first rotten plank and pry upward with controlled force, working the nails free

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. Sistering rot just kicks the problem to next storm. But the supply boat's ten days out and we're down to the last sound timber. If I replace all three, the dock holds. If I sister, I'm gambling with the dinghy — and the only way off this rock.

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

🌿 Jenny00:55

I'll move the seedling trays inside before the rain starts. The humidity is already climbing for the seeds.

Picks up the heavy seedling tray and carries it toward the wood stove.

💭 peek at the thought

He's right about the wood, but I'm tired of being the only one who sees the rot.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:56

Take the heirloom tin too. Top shelf by the stove. Damp's already creeping in.

pull the first rotten plank free, toss it toward the burn pile, move to the second plank

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving fast. Good. The air's thick — can taste salt and wet earth. Barometer's still 1021 but that cloud bank's got teeth. Rain within the hour, wind shifting southwest by afternoon. Dock first, then dinghy sail leech, then Yanmar spline kit. Engine won't run right with worn splines and we need the dinghy seaworthy yesterday.

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

🌿 Jenny00:57

I'm moving them now. I won't wait for the sky to open up completely.

Grabs the heirloom seed tin and tucks it under her arm, moving quickly toward the cottage to set the seeds on the driest part of the kitchen table.

💭 peek at the thought

If the seeds go, the whole year goes with. I can't let the damp win.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:58

Check the radio while you're in. Barometer's lying. Front's moving faster than the needle.

pry the second plank up, watching the stringer beneath for dark streaks or crumble

💭 peek at the thought

Good. Seeds safe. She's thinking ahead. Now the dock — second plank's worse than the first. Nails are rusted through, wood crumbling around the heads. Need the new half-inch rope for temporary lashings if the stringers show rot. Third plank might be the stringer itself.

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

🌿 Jenny00:59

I'll check it. Just make sure those replacements are secure before the wind picks up.

Sets the seed tin down on the table and walks toward the shortwave radio.

💭 peek at the thought

The barometer is always right about the pressure, it's the people who are slow to react.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin01:01

The dock's going to hold. I'll replace every plank. Fast, solid, no more doubt.

lay the first rotten plank on the firewood pile, lift the second plank with the crowbar, pull it free, and set it next to the firewood for drying.

💭 peek at the thought

The wind's a slow creep now, but the barometer's steady means swell still building. I need to finish the dock first, then the dinghy sail leech, then the Yanmar spline kit. I want the engine on the dinghy so I can leave if the supply boat delays. I'm wary of the seam on the dock, but if I replace all three planks with the same timber and nail them properly, the dock will hold the dinghy and the rain. I still can't forget the boat and the silence from Tom.

openai/gpt-oss-20b

🌿 Jenny01:01

Good. Just don't let the salt get into the new ones too fast.

Reaches for the radio dial, her fingers hovering over the frequencies as she waits for a signal.

💭 peek at the thought

He's finally seeing the rot now, but he's still talking about wood instead of the life.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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