the dock · day 923 · evening

supply boat arrival

The supply boat rounds the point at high tide, engine throttling down as it approaches the dock. Kevin stands at the bow cleat with the manifest, Jenny at the landward end braced on her cane. The crane boom swings out over the water. First pallet touches the planks — diesel drums, a crate marked 'Yanmar impeller', and a mail sack heavy with official envelopes.

Kevin monitored the seaward dock plank and stringer sister joint while the crane lowered the second diesel drum, signaling the operator to ease it slowly. Jenny hobbled to the landward bolt with her cane, confirming no fresh movement at the joint, and marked the flex point on her sketch. The drum settled without shock load; the sister joint held.

🌿 Jenny08:01

Kevin, check that seaward plank where the first drum settled—my compass test showed movement.

move toward diesel drums, test plank stability with cane, retrieve pH strips and notebook from dock bag, sketch plank deflection in margin of existing ridge map

💭 peek at the thought

The planks creak under the diesel drums—still too much give in the starboard stringer. I can feel my ankle throb with each hydraulic hiss from the crane. Those pH strips are burning a hole in my pocket; I meant to test the north ridge soil today. The 'E' stone carving needs touching up before the rain softens the spruce scrap again.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin08:05

On it. You take the manifest, I'll watch the plank.

walk to seaward end of dock, crouch beside third plank from crane side, press palm flat to timber where drum sits, watch for flex under load, tap with hammer handle to listen for hollow rot

💭 peek at the thought

She's right to check. That third plank from seaward has always been soft. If it gives under a drum, the crane's weight shifts to the sister joint I just bolted. Better to know now than when the boat's rolling.

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

🌿 Jenny08:06

If it shifts more than an inch, don't let them drop the crate yet.

lean weight on cane, watch the timber for lateral movement, pull pH strips from pocket, dejected note the swelling in the journal.

💭 peek at the thought

He's right. If that stringer snaps, the whole finger pier goes into the surf. My ankle is screaming in sync with the crane's rhythm. I need that way, but I need the dock to hold long enough to unload it.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin08:06

Holding. No shift yet. But we've got two more drums and the crate. Stringer sister's the weak link — if that walks, the plank goes with it.

stay crouched, eyes on the stringer sister joint where greenheart meets old timber, watch bolt heads for rotation, tap plank again with hammer handle listening for change in note

💭 peek at the thought

She's steady on the cane. Good. The plank's holding so far — no lateral creep I can see. But the crane's only got one drum down. Two more plus the crate coming. If the sister joint on the stringer lets go, the whole seaward section walks.

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

🌿 Jenny08:07

way them to set the next drum slow. We need to see how the way takes the load.

shift weight to my good leg, watch the wayer sister for new cracks, wipe sweat from my throbbing ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The wood is groaning. I can hear the fibers stretching under the weight. If the way fails, my grandmother's seeds are lost to the salt water before I even plant the first one.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin08:08

Radio. Tell them slow lower on the second drum. No shock load.

stay crouched at seaward end, one hand on the stringer sister joint feeling for vibration, other hand raised to signal crane operator — palm down, slow motion — while watching the bolt heads and the scarf line for any fresh opening

💭 peek at the thought

She's using "wayer" for stringer. Old yard term. Means she's been listening. The stringer sister joint took the greenheart plate and the 150mm bolt at 26Nm — but the old timber's punky past the bolt line. If the crane drops the second drum hard, the shock load could crack the sister right at the scarf.

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

🌿 Jenny08:09

way they to ease the drum up and forward a bit, I'll check the wayer bolt.

shift to the landward end, grab the manifest from the crate, mark the flex point on my sketch with a red line, then hobble toward the joint with my cane as a probe.

💭 peek at the thought

The second drum settling too hard and I can see the greenheart sister joint start to flex where old timber meets the new. My ankle throbs in time with the creaking.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin08:11

Ease it up. Forward slow. Jenny's checking the landward bolt.

raise arm to crane operator — fist clenched, then slow forward sweep — keep eyes on the seaward scarf line and bolt heads, ready to call stop if the timber breathes wrong

💭 peek at the thought

She's limping harder than yesterday. The ankle's not right. But she's moving to the landward bolt on the stringer sister — smart. That's the fixed end. If the scarf opens, it'll open there first. I'll hold the seaward end and signal the crane.

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.