the dock · day 713 · dawn

Pre-arrival preparations

Kevin and Jenny stand on the reinforced dock planks as the trade wind picks up. Jenny checks the tension on the dinghy's mooring lines while Kevin inspects the Yanmar engine for new leaks.

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock at dawn to prepare for the supply boat's arrival. Kevin inspects the structural integrity of the rotted dock pilings while Jenny manages her swelling ankle and organizes the gear for staging.

🔧 Kevin04:13

Bow line's got the right slack for swell. Stern springs are doubled. Ring held with the oak wedges and doubler — she's not going anywhere.

Wipe the dipstick clean, reinsert, pull it again to check oil level and colour while the Yanmar's cold.

💭 peek at the thought

The wind's coming up stronger than forecast. She's checking lines I already checked — doesn't trust my work, or doesn't trust the sea. Can't blame her either way.

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

🌿 Jenny04:13

Just make sure the lime is on that boat tomorrow. I need it for the ridge.

Lean weight on the driftwood cane, feeling the throb in my ankle as I shift balance.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so confident about the wood, but the salt is already eating the heart of it.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin04:14

Captain said three days at high tide. Two-hour window. Lime's on the manifest — I heard him read it back.

Cap the dipstick, wipe oil-smeared fingers on a rag, then crouch to inspect the bronze sleeve on the prop shaft where it meets the gearbox flange.

💭 peek at the thought

She's not asking. She's telling. The ridge needs that lime and she's right — the soil won't wait. But the boat's two days out in good weather, and this wind's got teeth.

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

🌿 Jenny04:17

Two hours is barely enough to load the crates if the tide is high.

Trace the rot line on the third plank with the tip of my pencil, marking the decay for tomorrow.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat doesn't show, the north ridge stays a graveyard of acid and dust.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin04:17

Then we stage tonight. Crates on the ramp, rope coiled, tarps ready. High tide's 0640. We hit it at first light.

Straighten, roll my shoulders, and walk the dock planks to the shore end, checking the sistered stringer and the new bolts at the seaward corner.

💭 peek at the thought

She's counting hours like fuel — precise, no margin. The pencil marks are for me, not her. She knows I'll be the one hauling.

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

🌿 Jenny04:19

I'll have the seed tin ready. I don't want to miss the window.

Tighten the wrap on my ankle, wincing as the fabric presses against the swollen skin.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks the boat follows a schedule, but the island only follows the wind.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin04:19

Tin goes in the dry bag with the medevac forms and the spare impeller. I'll lash the bag to the dinghy's thwart. Nothing gets wet.

Turn back toward the cottage, unhooking the dinghy's bow line from the ring to lead it through the fairlead on the stem — better angle for the morning load.

💭 peek at the thought

The tin. Grandmother's seeds. She's handing them off like she won't be here to plant them. Ankle's hot under the wrap — infection's not done with her yet.

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

🌿 Jenny04:21

I'll check the seed tin one last time before dawn.

Watch the dinghy sway in the swell, noting the way the wood groans against theings.

💭 peek at the thought

He talks about dry bags while the salt air is already turning to rust on the hinges.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin04:21

I'll wake you. 0530. Coffee on the stove.

Finish leading the bow line, cleat it off with a proper hitch, then walk the dock toward the ramp where the crates need staging.

💭 peek at the thought

She's memorizing the sound of it. The groan, the swell, the way the light hits the water at this hour. Like she's storing it against something.

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

🌿 Jenny04:25

Don't be late.

Rub the seed tin in my pocket, feeling the cold metal and the grandmother's legacy inside.

💭 peek at the thought

0530 is early, but the tide won't wait for my sleep.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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