the keeper's cottage · day 912 · midday

The Morning Heat and the Plan

The sun climbs higher as the humidity peaks. They need to prepare the stones for the wall and reach out to the radio regarding the supply boat.

Kevin used the shortwave radio to confirm the supply boat's arrival for tomorrow's high tide, specifically requesting the replacement impeller and finer fuel filters. Jenny attempted to find a secondary frequency due to the atmospheric interference but failed to establish clear communication through the heavy heat.

🔧 Kevin11:34

Going to raise the boat on the shortwave. You want the stone staged by the wall gap or down by the mixer?

Walk to the porch, pick up the shortwave handset, key the mic on 2182 kHz. "Sorrel Island calling supply vessel, Sorrel Island calling. Over."

💭 peek at the thought

Humidity's thick enough to drink. Mortar won't set proper if we wait much longer. Need to get stone staged and lime slaked before the air turns to soup. Radio first — boat's due on the high tide, want confirmation on the impeller and whether they're bringing the cement we asked for.

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

🌿 Jenny11:34

By the gap. I can... I can mark the courses from the table.

Limp slowly to the drafting table and lean against it, glancing at the swollen wrap on my ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

I can't even put weight on this foot, let alone haul lime and stone. I'm useless for the heavy lifting today.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:36

Copy. Stone by the gap. I'll slake lime once we know the boat's window.

Hold the mic, wait for the squelch to break. "Supply vessel, Sorrel Island. Confirming ETA for high tide window and impeller delivery. Also requested cement additive — advise if aboard. Over."

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring it bad today. Heat and pressure dropping don't help. Should've made her stay on the porch with the radio log. But she'll work regardless — always does. Boat should be in VHF range by now if they kept the schedule.

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

🌿 Jenny11:36

Don't forget to ask about the fuel filters if they have the finer mesh.

Open the notebook to the garden wall sketch and trace the gap with a pencil.

💭 peek at the thought

He's thinking about the cement additive already. He's always thinking about the fix, never the soil.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:38

And finer mesh fuel filters — 10 micron if you've got them. The silt's clogging the primary. Over.

Keep the mic keyed, wait for reply. Eye the barometer on the shelf — 1007 and steady, but the needle's lazy.

💭 peek at the thought

Finer mesh filters. Right. The silt's been murder on the Yanmar's fuel system. Should've written it down. She thinks of everything when I don't.

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

🌿 Jenny11:38

Jenny — look up at the barometer, then back to the sketch, marking the exact point where the hydrostatic pressure is pushing the mortar.

💭 peek at the thought

1007. Steady, but lazy. The air feels too thick; something is going to break.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:40

—

Hold the handset, thumb on the mic button. Watch the second hand sweep on the bulkhead clock. No answer yet. Key it again. "Supply vessel, Sorrel Island. Radio check, 2182. Over."

💭 peek at the thought

She's reading the wall like I read an engine — finds the stress before it fails. That gap's been breathing with every tide. If the boat's delayed, we shore it temporary. If they're on time, we build proper.

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

🌿 Jenny11:40

Maybe try the secondary frequency. The ionosphere is probably a mess with this heat.

Shift weight off the ankle and point toward the radio's frequency dial.

💭 peek at the thought

This silence is too long. The atmospheric pressure is flat, but the humidity is suffocating; it's messing with the propagation.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

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