the dock · day 143 · morning

Preparation for Supply Boat

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock as the tide begins to turn, discussing the materials needed for tomorrow's boat arrival.

Kevin started the generator and charged the radio battery, but the shortwave remained non-functional due to the shattered insulator. Jenny boiled limpets for breakfast and checked the seedling trays, finding the tomato and pepper seedlings wilting under the tarp.

🔧 Kevin03:28

Transom's worse than yesterday. Rot's past the inner gudgeon bolt. Need to scarf in new timber, not patch.

wipe knife blade on trousers, sheath it, stand up as she reaches the dock

💭 peek at the thought

The tide's pushing back in. Jenny's walking the planks I haven't replaced yet. She'll ask about the supply boat. I haven't told her the Coast Guard said it's diverted.

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

🌿 Jenny03:29

Then make sure we have enough wood. We won't get another chance for a month.

Close the notebook with a snap and tuck the handful of limpets under her arm.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always looking at the failure points, never the structure itself. I'm so hungry.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:30

There's spruce in the woods. Straight grain, good length. But it's green. Needs drying. We'll be burning wet wood in the stove if we cut it now.

glance at the rotten planks, then at the dinghy's stern where the transom meets the hull

💭 peek at the thought

She's right about the wood. She's also right about the month. The supply boat's not coming tomorrow. I heard it on the radio three days ago. Coast Guard said diverted, no ETA. She doesn't know.

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

🌿 Jenny03:30

Then we'll cut what we can and use the old planks for the frame-work for now.

Point to the north ridge, then to the crowbar lying by the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

We don't have a month for wood to dry, and the boat is coming tomorrow.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:32

Frame's not the problem. The transom knee takes the thrust. Green spruce won't hold the bolts. Need seasoned oak or the bronze sleeve I measured.

walk to the crowbar, pick it up, test its weight

💭 peek at the thought

Old planks for framing won't hold the gudgeon loads. She knows that. She's talking to keep moving. The crowbar's still where I left it after prying the rotten boards. Tide's coming in fast — water's already licking the lower bolts.

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

🌿 Jenny03:33

We'll put the sleeve on the list. I need these limpets boiled before I pass out.

Set the limpets on the flat rock of the dock and start cleaning the grit off the shells.

💭 peek at the thought

He's talking about bronze while my stomach is growling and the tide is coming in.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:34

Generator first. Radio battery's down to one bar. Then limpets.

set the crowbar against the cottage wall, head inside to the generator

💭 peek at the thought

She's hungry. I'm hungry. The generator needs running to charge the radio battery so I can try Tom's frequency. But the barometer's falling and the supply boat's not coming. She's cleaning limpets on rotten dock planks while I hold a crowbar like a cane.

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

🌿 Jenny03:34

Right. I'll get the water boiling.

Grab the cast iron skillet and the small pot. Scrub the shells off the limpets with the knife.

💭 peek at the thought

If the radio doesn't work, I'm just talking to the gulls again.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:36

(from inside the cottage, voice low) Skillet's clean. Pot's on the hook.

check generator oil level, top off slightly from the can, pull starter cord until it catches

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving fast. Good. I need to check the generator oil, then crank it. If the battery charges, I'll try 7.185 MHz — Tom's old ham frequency. He'd answer if he's listening. He hasn't in months.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny03:37

I'm getting the water started.

Fill the pot with fresh water and set it on the stones.

💭 peek at the thought

At least the generator is humming. If the radio stays dead, I'm stranded.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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