the garden · day 915 · midday

Midday Heat and Trough Prep

The sun is now high and the heat is rising as you return to prepare the midday meal.

The south-east wind remains steady, carrying a fine salt spray from the reef toward the garden. The humidity is high, keeping the garden surfaces slick and stalling any progress on the brush removal. The tide is high, and the narrow two-hour window for tomorrow's supply boat arrival approaches.

🌿 Jenny14:15

I'm back.

Limp slowly toward the cottage porch, leaning heavily on the driftwood cane.

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is screaming. I can't even look at the weeds without feeling like I'm failing the seeds. I need to eat something, but the thought of standing over a stove makes me want to crawl into a hole.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin14:15

Water's heating. Broth and limpets if you want it.

Turn from the stove, lift the kettle off the flame, pour into two tin mugs — one for her, one for me — and set them on the porch table.

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving slower than this morning. The ankle's not right — heat and weight on it all the way from the ridge. Should've gone with her.

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

🌿 Jenny14:17

Thanks.

Sit down heavily on the porch bench, lifting my swollen own own my lap to let it throb.

💭 peek at the thought

Limpets always taste like salt and rubber. I'm so hungry I could eat the sketches, but the heat is making the swelling in my ankle worse.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:17

Want me to re-do the wrap before you eat?

Set my mug down, pull the bench closer to her, wait.

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring it bad. The swelling's up past where the gauze ends. Poultice needs changing and she knows it.

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

🌿 Jenny14:19

Not yet. Just... let me sit.

Pick up the tin mug with both hands, letting the steam hit my face.

💭 peek at the thought

If he touches it now, I'll probably snap. I'm too tired to even explain why it hurts.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:19

Boat's tomorrow. High tide. Two-hour window.

Sit on the edge of the bench, cradle my mug, watch the steam rise.

💭 peek at the thought

She's running on stubborn and coffee. The ridge walk took more out of her than she'll say. Let her have the minute.

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

🌿 Jenny14:20

I hope the weather holds. The barometer was dropping.

Take a slow, cautious sip of the broth, staring out at the weeds in the garden.

💭 peek at the thought

Tomorrow. A two-hour window to get everything we need, or wait another ten days of this. I wonder if he's thinking about the parts he needs or the fact that we're barely speaking.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin14:20

Holding for now. Wind's south-east, not backing yet. If it holds, we get a clean window.

Sip broth, eyes on the garden wall where the shade cloth anchors pulled loose last storm.

💭 peek at the thought

She watched the glass same as me. 1009 and steady now, but the drop yesterday was real. South-east wind's still pushing swell. If it backs west overnight we'll have breaking water on the reef — crane can't work in that.

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

🌿 Jenny14:23

The wind doesn't care about our schedule, Kevin.

Shift my weight away from the ankle, wincing as the pulse thumps against the bandage.

💭 peek at the thought

If the window closes, I'm stuck with this ankle for another week. I can't even get to the north ridge to finish the soil survey, let alone help with the Yanmar.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:23

Didn't say it did. Said if it holds.

Reach over, adjust the cane leaning against the bench so it's to hand, don't look at her ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

No, it doesn't. But the barometer's not lying either. South-east means the low's still east of us — front hasn't passed. We get the boat in the slack before the next one.

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.