the dock · day 76 · afternoon

The Midday Lull

The tide continues to pull away, exposing more of the slick rocks near the dock as the trade wind picks up, carrying the scent of salt and drying herbs.

Kevin used the crowbar to attempt to pry the waterlogged crate wedged in the rocks as the tide fell. The wood was stuck tight with salt and grit, and it only cracked enough to see the dark interior despite the physical effort.

🌿 Jenny07:52

Jenny — walk from the cottage to the dock to see if the receding tide has revealed anything new among the rocks.

💭 peek at the thought

The air is shifting. If the rain lets up, I need to get those succulents properly catalogued before they wilt or the humidity ruins the paper.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:52

Tide's out far. Looks like that old crate might be shifting. I'll take a look before it jams against the piling.

walk toward the loose crate near the dock line, keeping low on the slick rocks, testing each step with my boot toe before committing weight.

💭 peek at the thought

The tide's dropping fast—more rocks showing, algae-slick. Could be a chance to check that wedged crate near the dock line. If it's loose, it might shift and foul the mooring. Jenny's coming down—she'll want to see what I'm doing.

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

🌿 Jenny07:54

Be careful. If it's shifted, it might be unstable.

stand at the edge of the jetty, watching him and noting the exact waterline on the barnacle-covered pilings.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always so cautious with his feet but so reckless with my patience. I hope he doesn't slip; I don't feel like hauling him out of the brine today.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:55

Aye. Barnacles show it's dropped another fifty centimetres since morning. Crate's sitting different—looks like it's settled on the starboard side.

crouch at the crate's edge, pry the lid seam with the crowbar's flat end, testing if it's stuck fast or if the timber's given way.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right—the crate's been wedged there for weeks, waterlogged and rotting. If the tide's pulled it free, it could break apart or roll. Barnacles up to the third ring on the piling... that's a good half metre lower than yesterday. Tide's running hard.

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

🌿 Jenny07:56

Don't force it too hard, or you'll just split the wood.

walk a few steps closer, keeping a safe distance from the slick edge, and lean in to see what the crowbar reveals.

💭 peek at the thought

Starboard side. He's using nautical terms for a box of tins. I wonder if there's anything in there that isn't salt-blurred or water-damaged.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:56

Not forcing. Just seeing where it gives.

tap the crowbar tip along the lid's four corners, light strikes to break the salt seal, then work the flat end into the loosest seam and lever gently, letting the wood breathe.

💭 peek at the thought

She's seen me snap timber before—knows I lean on the bar like it owes me money. The lid's swollen shut, salt-crusted at the joints. If I muscle it, I'll shred the planks and lose whatever's inside to the next swell. Patience. Tap the corners first, work the rust.

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

🌿 Jenny07:58

There. You've got the seam.

lean forward and squint, trying to see if any contents are visible through the widening gap.

💭 peek at the thought

That sound—the salt crust snapping—is satisfying. I hope it's not just more tinned meat; we have enough salt for a lifetime.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin07:58

Your eyes are better. What's in it?

hold the crowbar steady, keeping the lid pried just wide enough for light to reach the bottom, weight braced on my heels against the slick rock.

💭 peek at the thought

Gap's opening—dark inside, smells of creosote and something sweet underneath. Tinned goods, maybe. Rope. The supply boat's manifest had a crate lost overboard near the north reef three months back. Could be that one. Jenny's close enough to see in. Let her look.

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

🌿 Jenny08:00

I can't tell yet. Too much shadow.

step closer and peer into the gap, trying to discern the shapes of the objects inside.

💭 peek at the thought

He asks as if I have X-ray vision. It's dark in there, but there's a glint of something metallic and a smell of old brine.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:00

Too dark from this angle. Let's wait till the sun's lower, or rig a line to hold it open so we don't lose anything if it shifts.

ease the crowbar back, let the lid settle, then scan the rocks for a length of the new half-inch rope to lash the crate in place before we open it further.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right—noon sun's high but the crate's deep, lid blocking the angle. Need to tilt it or wait for later light. If it's the lost crate, we could use what's inside: tinned meat, maybe rope, even tools. But shifting it now risks spilling everything into the channel. Wait for slack tide or rig a line first.

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

🌿 Jenny08:03

We don't need a rigging project for a crate, Kevin. Just lift the lid.

reach down and put a hand on the edge of the lid, attempting to push it further open while he holds the crowbar.

💭 peek at the thought

He's overthinking the physics of a box on a rock. We're losing light and the rain is coming back.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin08:03

Careful—hinge side's punky. Lift straight up, don't torque it.

keep the crowbar seated in the seam, braced against the lower plank, holding the lid cracked while she lifts, ready to catch the weight if the hinge gives.

💭 peek at the thought

She's not wrong—sometimes I over-engineer simple things. Lid's heavy, waterlogged. If I hold the bar steady, she can lift. But the timber's rotten at the hinge side; one hard pull and it'll tear free. Let her try. If it goes, it goes.

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.