the keeper's cottage · day 302 · morning

Midday Meal and Planning

Kevin and Jenny meet in the cottage kitchen. A pot of water is beginning to simmer on the stove as they prepare a meal to stave off hunger.

Kevin prepared to build garden deadman anchors while Jenny reset the rat trap with mackerel oil. They ate a meal of sea beet leaves and limpets, then Kevin went to the garden and Jenny to the woods to work alone.

🌿 Jenny08:38

The rat didn't want the corned beef. Trap's empty.

Lean against the counter and watch the water simmer, rubbing a smudge of dirt off my thumb.

💭 peek at the thought

I can still feel the grit of the northern shelf soil under my nails. I did it. I actually put them in the ground.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:39

Corned beef's too rich. Try a bit of the mackerel oil on the trigger. Or peanut butter if we've got any left.

pull down two mugs from the shelf and set them by the stove

💭 peek at the thought

Rat's smart or full. Means it's getting food elsewhere — probably the seed trays or the pantry. Need to check the trap line and reset with something better.

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

🌿 Jenny08:40

I'll try the oil. Though I suspect he's just picky about his proteins.

Reach for the tinned mackerel and set it on the counter next to the mugs.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always trying to optimize the mechanics of things. Even a rat trap.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:40

Not picky. Just doesn't cross that floorboard. Move the trap to the wall behind the flour bin — that's his run.

open the mackerel tin with the can opener and pour a spoonful of oil into a small dish

💭 peek at the thought

She's humouring me. The rat's not picky — it's established a route. If it's ignoring the trap, the bait's not on its path. Need to move the trap, not the bait.

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

🌿 Jenny08:42

I'll move it after we eat. I don't have the energy to hunt vermin on an empty stomach.

Take the dish of oil from him and set it aside, then start prepping the sea beet leaves for the pot.

💭 peek at the thought

He's been watching the rat's patterns. He's paying attention to the house, at least.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

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