the keeper's cottage · day 475 · morning

MORNING

The tide begins to hold high as the clouds darken, and the first heavy drops of rain hit the tin roof.

Kevin moved the shortwave radio and coax cable from the porch to the kitchen table to protect them from the leak, then boiled limpets and began work on the Yanmar housing. Jenny tightened her ankle brace, watched Kevin work, and held her grandmother's seed tin for comfort.

🔧 Kevin10:27

Kevin — walk to the porch, check the radio shelf for moisture, then move the shortwave and spare coax to the kitchen table away from the leak.

💭 peek at the thought

Rain's here earlier than the barometer suggested. Tank's full but the porch leaks at the northeast corner — need to shift the radio gear before the drip hits the coax. Jenny's still asleep; ankle poultice held through the night but she'll need fresh mint and a re-wrap before she puts weight on it.

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

🌿 Jenny10:27

It's just a leak, Kevin. The radio isn't going to melt.

Lean back against the porch wall and pull the wrap of the ankle brace a little tighter.

💭 peek at the thought

He's fussing again. I can't even stand up and he's already rearranging the world to save the electronics.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin10:29

Coax connector's green at the threads. One more soak and the shield goes. This boat doesn't come for nine days.

Move the radio and coax to the kitchen table anyway, then set the tin mug under the porch leak to catch the drip.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right about the radio — it's survived worse. But the coax connector's already corroded from last month's storm, and I don't have another spare. She's favouring the ankle less today; the swelling's down from yesterday. Good.

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

🌿 Jenny10:29

Then we'd better hope the boat is punctual for once.

Look down at the ankle, tracing the heat through the fabric with a finger.

💭 peek at the thought

Nine days. Nine days of this damp, this silence, and this throbbing in my leg.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin10:31

Boat comes when it comes. Ankle still hot?

Walk to the wood stove, lift the kettle, and set it back to boil for limpets. Pull the mint sprigs from the drying rack.

💭 peek at the thought

Boat's never punctual. Nine days is the schedule, not the promise. She's testing the ankle — heat's still there under the wrap, but the red line hasn't moved past my pen mark from last night. Antibiotics are holding. Need to boil more limpets for breakfast and get the Yanmar filter housing torn down before the tide drops and I can check the dock ring wedges.

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

🌿 Jenny10:31

Still hot. But the mint might help.

Shift weight slightly, wincing as the joint protests, and watch him with the sprigs.

💭 peek at the thought

He asks like he's checking a gauge. Yes, it's hot. It feels like it's trying to cook itself from the inside.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin10:33

Two limpets each, then I'm into the Yanmar housing. You stay off that ankle till I'm back.

Boil water, add limpets, set timer for eight minutes. While they cook, grab the torque wrench, cylinder head gasket, and penetrating oil from the shelf and step outside to the dinghy.

💭 peek at the thought

Mint's good for the draw, but the joint needs rest and the antibiotic course to finish. She's pushing it — weight's on the bad foot again. If she keeps this up we'll be back to lance and poultice by week's end. First, get food in us. Second, tear into that filter housing before the air lock gets worse. Third, check the dock ring at low tide — oak wedges are holding, but the steel plate needs a torque re-check after last night's surge.

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

🌿 Jenny10:33

Jenny — watch him walk away, then slowly reach for the grandmother's seed tin on the table and pull it close to my chest.

💭 peek at the thought

Of course. The engine is more important than the botanist. He doesn't want me moving because I'm a liability, not because he's worried.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

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