the dock · day 14 · dawn

Preparation for the tide

The tide rises against the dock pilings as Kevin prepares the spruce mast for the dinghy. Jenny stands nearby with the damp seeds, while the smell of salt and drying seaweed hangs in the still morning air.

Kevin used the crowbar to pry open the waterlogged crate, but the wood is swollen and resistant to the effort. Jenny spent the morning meticulously separating the damp heirloom seeds from the moldy clumps to prevent further spreading.

🌿 Jenny08:56

way with that crowbar, Kevin, the planks are soft as mush.

sit on the wooden crate, open the heirloom seed tin, and begin using a needle to carefully separate the damp heirloom seeds.

💭 peek at the thought

If I don't get these seeds separated now, the mold will turn the whole tin into a solid grey block.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin08:56

Crowbar's for the crate, not the dock. Dock gets a saw and replacement planks from the shed.

set crowbar down on the dock planking, walk to the shed to fetch the handsaw and two seasoned replacement planks

💭 peek at the thought

She's right about the planks — rot goes deep when you can press a thumbnail through. The crowbar's leverage will take more than wood if I'm not careful.

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

🌿 Jenny08:58

Just don't let it slip through a gap.

lean over the seed tin, squinting in the bright light, and meticulously pick a single damp seed away from a moldy clump with the needle.

💭 peek at the thought

Typical. He thinks in straight lines and hardware. I'm over here performing surgery on a family legacy and he's worrying about the lumber.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:58

Kevin — pick up the handsaw from the shed, measure the rotten plank spans against the new timber, mark cuts with pencil

💭 peek at the thought

She's focused on seeds while the mast sits half-rigged. Fair enough — her work, her rhythm. The crate can wait.

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

🌿 Jenny09:00

Jenny — carefully slide a separated seed into a dry paper packet, then lean back to stretch my neck.

💭 peek at the thought

The silence is almost as heavy as the humidity. I can hear the saw-tooth scratching the wood.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin09:00

Kevin — saw the first replacement plank to length, blow dust off the cut, test-fit it against the dock joists

💭 peek at the thought

Good, she's pacing herself. Neck's stiff from hunching — I know the feeling. The saw bites clean into the seasoned plank; grain's straight, no knots near the ends.

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

🌿 Jenny09:02

Fits well.

return to the tin and use the needle to tease another seed free from the pulpy mass.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so methodical it's almost hypnotic. I wonder if he's thinking about the engine or if he's actually present here with me.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin09:02

Thanks.

drill pilot holes through the new plank into the joists, drive galvanized deck screws, start the second plank cut

💭 peek at the thought

She watched the fit. Didn't have to say anything, but she did. The plank sits flush, no rocking on the joists. Two more cuts and I can fasten them before the tide lifts the dinghy.

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.