the dock · day 461 · morning

MORNING, DAY 462

The rain continues to taper as the tide begins its ebb. Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock to plan the final preparations before the supply boat arrives.

Kevin attempts to cut the timber cores for the dock repair, but the wood is so soft and waterlogged that the saw catches and tears the fibers, leaving jagged, uneven edges instead of a clean cut. Jenny tries to mark the wood, but the charcoal smudges on the damp surface, making the precise lines difficult to maintain as the tide rises.

🌿 Jenny20:16

The dock planks are soft as wet cardboard. We need to swap them before the boat hits us hard.

Kick a section of rotten wood with my boot, wincing as the weight shifts on my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

My leg is throbbing in time with the waves; if I don't get those limpets boiled soon, I'll lose my strength.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:17

Aye. Got three sound cores from the last pull. Need to cut them to length, drill bolt holes, and bed them in epoxy before the tide turns. You take measurements, I'll fetch the saw and drill.

walk to the workshop to get the bow saw, 12mm auger bit, and epoxy tub

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. The rotten planks won't take the supply boat's weight, and the tide's dropping — gives us a window to work the seaward side before the next high.

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

🌿 Jenny20:17

Hurry back. The barometer is dropping and I don't want us working in a gale.

Kneel on the deck, measuring the gap and marking the cut lines with a charcoal stick.

💭 peek at the thought

If he takes too long, the tide will be back up before the epoxy sets. My head is spinning from the fever.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:19

Kevin — retrieve bow saw, 12mm auger bit, and epoxy tub from workshop; return to dock

💭 peek at the thought

Barometer at 985 and steady per my reading, but she's closer to the cottage gauge. Either way, the window's narrow. Move fast.

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

🌿 Jenny20:19

Lay them out. We need to cut these to size or the bolts won't align.

Reach for the first timber core, breath hitching as I pull the heavy wood toward me.

💭 peek at the thought

Finally. My hands are shaking too much to hold the pencil, but I need to get these lines straight.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:21

I'll hump the timber. You mark and drill — keep weight off that foot.

lift the first sound core onto the dock planking, position it against the gap for marking

💭 peek at the thought

She's pushing the ankle too hard. Timber's heavy wet. Should take the load myself.

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

🌿 Jenny20:21

I can handle the marking. Just make sure the edges are square when you cut.

Press the charcoal to the wood, tracing the precise length for the first replacement plank.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks I'm made of glass. I'm just tired, and the infection is eating me.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin20:22

Kevin — saw the timber core to Jenny's marked line, then plane the cut edge square with the drawknife from my belt

💭 peek at the thought

Square edges mean tight fit, less water wicking in. She's got the eye for it.

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

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