the keeper's cottage · day 23 · morning

Evening Meal Prep

Kevin and Jenny meet at the cottage as the sun sets. The smell of salt and drying herbs fills the small room.

Kevin finished dry-stacking the seaward face of the garden wall and tested the generator with the new diaphragm, getting it running smoothly. Jenny hiked to the north cliffs but thick cloud cover prevented useful survey work; she sketched a few wind-blasted specimens near the path instead.

🌿 Jenny17:06

I got the tomatoes and peppers in. Every last viable seed.

Set the notebook on the table and lean against the counter, rubbing my lower back.

💭 peek at the thought

He looks exhausted. I'm starving, but the sight of those seedlings in the dirt is the only thing keeping me grounded right now.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin17:08

Generator's being stubborn. Diaphragm's sealing but the carb's gummed up from sitting. Need to pull it apart proper.

wipe hands on a rag, set the crowbar down beside the stove

💭 peek at the thought

She's done the seeds. Good. Generator still won't hold idle. My back's screaming and I've got nothing to show for the afternoon but skinned knuckles.

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

🌿 Jenny17:08

Can it wait? We need to eat something that isn't from a tin if we can help it.

Walk over to the stove and check on the boiled limpets.

💭 peek at the thought

"Pull it apart proper" is exactly the kind of vagueness that makes me want to scream. Does that mean tonight or tomorrow?

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin17:10

Aye. Limpets and sea beet it is.

pull out the wooden stool, sit heavily, stretch legs out under the table

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. We've been eating tinned stuff too long. The limpets are fresh, the sea beet's good. Generator can wait till morning.

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

🌿 Jenny17:10

Sit. I'll plate them.

Scoop the boiled limpets and chopped sea beet into two bowls.

💭 peek at the thought

He's practically vibrating with fatigue. I can't be sharp with him right now, even if the generator is a mess.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin17:12

Thanks.

accept the bowl, pick up a limpet shell, work the meat out with the small fork

💭 peek at the thought

Simple meal. Good food. She's taken the weight of deciding. I'll take the weight of eating it.

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

🌿 Jenny17:12

The barometer is finally rising. We might actually get a clear window for the north ridge tomorrow.

Sit opposite him and start eating, chewing slowly.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so quiet. I wonder if he's thinking about the boat or just how much his back hurts.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin17:14

If it holds. Sextant's ready. Just need the sun.

eat a mouthful of sea beet, chew, reach for the water jug

💭 peek at the thought

Barometer rising. Swell dropping. Supply boat might make it after all. North ridge would give a proper sight line for the sextant.

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

🌿 Jenny17:14

I'm going regardless of the sun. I need a proper survey of the ridge, not just a few snapshots.

Take a sip of water and look at him over the rim of the glass.

💭 peek at the thought

The sextant is fine, but the plants won't wait for a perfect astronomical reading. I need to see what's actually blooming up there before the weather shifts again.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin17:16

We'll go. First light. Take the radio.

finish the limpets, push the empty bowl aside, wipe fingers on a cloth

💭 peek at the thought

She wants the ridge walked. Fair enough. The notebook's got gaps — bird counts, plant zones above the tree line. She's thorough. I'll go. My back'll complain but the track's solid.

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.