the dock · day 5 · morning

The Tide Recedes

The onshore breeze picks up slightly, carrying the scent of salt and the drifting jellyfish toward the shore.

Kevin attempted to repair the Seagull's carburetor float needle and weld the cracked engine mount, but the needle was too pitted and the weld failed on the first pass. Jenny tested soil pH in the garden's amended zones and found the lime-treated beds reading near neutral while the untreated beds remained acidic, then checked the water tank and secured the overflow gutters.

🌿 Jenny00:23

The wind is shifting.

Hold the yellow pH strip to the light and note the shade in the notebook.

💭 peek at the thought

If the soil is still this acidic, the heirloom tomatoes will rot before they even sprout. I can't lose grandmother's seeds to bad chemistry.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:23

Wind's shifting alright—NE gusts'll be here soon.

walk to dock check barometer

💭 peek at the thought

The wind's backing northeast again—barometer's holding at 1015, so this is the front pushing through. That means the squall's coming faster than I hoped. Should've welded that engine mount yesterday instead of waiting for perfect conditions.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny00:25

Is it dropping?

Walk toward the dock, clutching the notebook.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always checking the pressure. It's the only thing he's certain about. I'm starving and the air feels like a wet blanket.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin00:25

Was 1015 at dawn. Holding so far. But NE gusts mean the front's still coming regardless.

check barometer read it out loud

💭 peek at the thought

She's asking about the barometer. It was steady at 1015 this morning, but with NE gusts building and the wind backing, the glass could be lying. The French forecast had Force 8 offshore yesterday—if that's moving in, we'll see it drop fast.

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

🌿 Jenny00:26

Stop being vague. Is it a squall or just a breeze?

Lean against the jetty piling, looking out at the jellyfish.

💭 peek at the thought

Steady for now, but "regardless" is such a vague word. Either it's coming or it isn't.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin00:27

Glass says steady. Wind says squall. Trust the wind.

tap the barometer face glance at the jellyfish drifting closer to the jetty

💭 peek at the thought

She wants a straight answer. The barometer's steady but the wind's backing NE and building—that's the real tell. The French forecast had Force 8 offshore. If that's tracking true, we've got hours, not days. I should give her the honest read: glass says wait, wind says move.

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

🌿 Jenny00:29

The wind doesn't care about my pH levels.

Pocket the yellow strip and the notebook, walking toward the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

If the wind is right, the boat won't come anyway. I'm too hungry to fight a storm.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:29

It won't wait for soil tests.

head toward cottage grab the carburetor and float needle from the tool bench set up the portable workbench inspect the brass needle for pitting soak it in vinegar calibrate the lathe tool bits turn a replacement needle if needed

💭 peek at the thought

She's done talking about it. Wind's backing northeast, barometer's holding but the French forecast had Force 8 offshore yesterday. If that's tracking true, we've got maybe six hours before the squall hits. I should test that carburetor float needle now while I've got daylight, and get serious about welding that engine mount before the wind drops below 15 knots.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny00:31

I need to check the water tank before it drops.

Enter the kitchen and look at the rat-chewed flour sack.

💭 peek at the thought

He's obsessed with the engine while I'm obsessed with the dirt. My stomach is growling louder than the tide.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin00:32

Three litres down. Rat got the flour—two days' worth.

test the carburetor float needle on the bench check for fuel flow inspect the engine mount crack set up welding gear weld the cracked mount on blocks

💭 peek at the thought

She's checking the tank level and the flour loss. We're at 397 litres—three litres down from full. The rat got into the flour sack; that's two days' rations gone. With the supply boat due in nine days and 22.6 days of food for two, we're tight but not critical if the boat shows. The squall could delay it. I should finish the carb work and get the engine mount welded so the dinghy's an option if we need to move or fish.

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.