the keeper's cottage · day 915 · evening

EVENING

The tide is at its lowest point as Kevin and Jenny prepare to check the shortwave at 0700 tomorrow.

🔧 Kevin14:30

Radio at 0700. Then we check that crate at low tide before the supply boat shows.

Walk to the shortwave on the shelf and switch it on, letting the tubes warm up while the static settles.

💭 peek at the thought

Need to verify the supply boat ETA on the shortwave at first light. Barometer's steady at 1008 — if it holds, the window's good. But the tide's lower than charts show. That crate wedged off the starboard piling... might be the supply boat's lost crate from last month. Worth checking at low tide tomorrow before the boat arrives.

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

🌿 Jenny14:32

I can't get down to the rocks right now, Kevin. Not with this swelling.

Lean heavily against the doorframe and slowly lower myself into the chair on the porch.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so focused on the hardware. The crate is just a box of things, but my ankle is pulsing in time with the static.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin14:32

Stay off it. I'll go at first light.

Turn the gain knob on the shortwave, scanning for the supply boat's usual frequency, 2182 kHz.

💭 peek at the thought

Her ankle's worse. The heat's not helping. She shouldn't be on those rocks anyway — slick limestone and a swollen ankle is a bad combination. I'll check the crate myself at low tide. First, the radio.

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

🌿 Jenny14:34

Just be careful with the footing. The rocks are slicker than they look.

Reach for the tin mug of lukewarm coffee and take a slow, cautious sip.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks "staying off it" is a solution. It's not. It's just waiting for the rot to win.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin14:34

Always am.

Adjust the squelch, key the mic, and call: "Sorrel Island calling supply vessel on 2182. Over."

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. The limestone's got that green slime that holds water like glass. One wrong step and I'm in the water with a bad back and no one to pull me out. Radio first. Crate second. If it's the supply boat's lost crate, might have the impeller we're still missing.

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

🌿 Jenny14:36

Jenny — set the mug down on the porch table and watch the horizon, tracing the line where the sky meets the sea.

💭 peek at the thought

That confidence. He says it like gravity is a choice. I hope that crate actually has something useful in it, and not just more rusted iron.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin14:37

Kevin — hang the mic back on its hook. Walk to the porch rail and look down at the crate wedged in the rocks, checking the angle of approach for morning light.

💭 peek at the thought

Nothing but static. Either the boat's not in range yet, or their radio's off. They usually monitor 2182. Barometer's steady — they should be running on schedule for tomorrow's high tide. I'll try again at 0700 proper.

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.