the keeper's cottage · day 323 · evening

Evening before the supply boat

The tide begins to turn inward, and the breeze cools slightly as the pair prepares for the boat's arrival.

The air thickens as the pressure drops further, signaling the approach of a wet season storm. Jenny prepares the heirloom seeds for final drying, while Kevin checks the dock integrity ahead of the supply boat's arrival.

🔧 Kevin06:32

Boat due tomorrow, but I'll keep the radio on just in case it's early. You want tea or just rest?

walk to the radio shelf, turn the shortwave to the supply boat frequency, and listen for any sign of approach while Jenny eats.

💭 peek at the thought

The tide's turning — supply boat should be due soon. Jenny's still quiet after the limpet boil, but she's eating. I can feel the hunger in my gut, weak and hollow. Barometer's steady at 1036, but the sky's thickening — storm's holding off, for now. I need to get that letter off if the boat comes. Tom's not gonna read it unless it gets to the postmistress. And I still haven't checked the Yanmar vibration on the dinghy like I meant to today. One thing at a time.

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

🌿 Jenny06:33

Just the tea. I'm tired.

Eat a boiled limpet from the bowl while watching the barometer needle sink further.

💭 peek at the thought

The pressure is dropping too fast for a calm arrival; I hope the boat brings more than just more storm clouds.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:34

Tea's on. I'll put the kettle on the stove. After, I'll take the dinghy out for a quick engine check — just to be sure she's ready if we need to move fast.

fill the kettle with rainwater from the tank, set it on the wood stove, and while it heats, grab the oars and walk down to the dock to untie the dinghy.

💭 peek at the thought

She's tired — more than just from the day. That ankle's still troubling her, even if she won't say. Barometer's sinking now, not steady — dropping fast. Storm's closer than I thought. Supply boat might not make it through. If it doesn't, the letter waits. But if it does, I gotta be ready to row out. First, tea. Then check the Yanmar — promised myself I'd test it under load today. Can't let the engine go soft when we might need it.

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

🌿 Jenny06:35

Don't go too far, the tide is already turning.

Pick up the rusted seed tin from the table and trace the dent in the metal with my thumb.

💭 peek at the thought

If he's checking the engine now, he's worried about the swell as much as I am.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin06:37

Just a quick run up and back. Test the prop under load. Won't leave the channel.

untie the dinghy's stern line, step in, ship the oars, and row out to clear water before dropping the throttle to test the Yanmar at half, then three-quarter throttle.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — tide's flooding quick now, and the wind's shifting. The chop'll build in the channel. I won't go far — just enough to load the engine, see if the vibration's truly gone. The shim held on the north piling, the ring's solid with the oak wedges. Dinghy's the only way off this rock if the boat comes and the sea's up. She's watching that tin like it holds something she can't name. Maybe it does. I'll be back before dark.

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.