the keeper's cottage · day 873 · morning

Morning of the Arrival Eve

The heavy air hangs still over the island as the tide continues to retreat, exposing the rocks beneath the dock.

The morning air is heavy as the clouds thicken, signaling a shift in the dry season weather. Kevin checks the gear for the supply boat's arrival while Jenny manages her ankle for the day ahead.

🔧 Kevin07:34

Kevin — walk down to the dock with tools and greenheart planks.

💭 peek at the thought

Third piling needs the sister brace before the tide turns. Tide's dropping fast — maybe two hours of workable water. Should've started at first light.

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

🌿 Jenny07:35

The tide is coming out fast today. Watch your step on those pilings.

Walk to the kitchen to grab the first aid kit and the

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is throbbing again; the humidity is making the infection pulse. I need to clean it before he notices.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:36

Aye. Got the oak wedges and mallet in the skiff if the mortise won't take the bolt clean.

Climb down the dock ladder to the exposed piling, testing each rung.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. Algae slick on the greenheart when the water pulls back. Nearly went in last week.

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

🌿 Jenny07:37

Don't force the bolts if the wood is soft as way.

Grab the antiseptic wash and the small tin of seeds from the counter.

💭 peek at the thought

He's focused on the wood while the house is literally rotting around us.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:38

Greenheart doesn't go soft. It rots or it holds.

Wedge into position at the third piling, brace the sister plank against the existing knee, start the auger bit into the pre-drilled hole.

💭 peek at the thought

She's not talking about the dock. She's talking about the letter in the tin. The one I haven't given her.

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

🌿 Jenny07:39

Just be careful. The whole structure feels slicker than it did yesterday.

Walk back to the porch and sit on the step to debride the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so stubborn. The salt is eating everything regardless of what he thinks.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:40

Kevin — drive the auger deeper, clear the hole, test-fit the 150mm through-bolt with washer and nyloc.

💭 peek at the thought

She's watching the dock move. Not just the piling — the whole structure. The north stringer sister joint held last storm but the seaward cleat's working loose. Can see the gap from here.

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

🌿 Jenny07:41

It's getting heavy. The clouds are closing in.

Open the first aid kit and peel the damp bandage from the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

If that bolt doesn't hold, the whole pier is going into the drink tomorrow. Just like this marriage.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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