the keeper's cottage · day 994 · afternoon

Yanmar load test and antibiotic watch

Mid-afternoon. Kevin starts the Yanmar in the dinghy tied at the dock, running it at load for twenty minutes to verify the impeller housing fix. Jenny remains at the cottage, ankle in salt soak, drifting in and out of sleep between antibiotic doses. The barometer reads 978 hPa and the wind has shifted northeast.

Kevin ran the Yanmar at half load for twenty minutes; the engine held steady with clear tell-tale flow, stable temperature at 82°C, and no vibration. Jenny walked the dock perimeter on her cane, finding the starboard mooring ring bolt had loosened half a turn and the north piling sister brace showing fresh timber crush at the lower through-bolt.

🔧 Kevin04:57

Running the Yanmar at load. Twenty minutes. You need anything before I cast off?

Walk down to the dock, untie the dinghy's bow line, climb in, start the Yanmar, let it warm at idle, then advance throttle to half and hold for twenty minutes while monitoring tell-tale flow, temperature, and vibration

💭 peek at the thought

Shoulder's screaming but the engine's turning over clean. Barometer dropped five millibars since I checked — northeast wind means swell's building. Twenty minutes at load, watch the tell-tale, watch the temp gauge, feel for that vibration above half throttle. If she holds, the bronze sleeve's true. If she doesn't, I'm pulling the shaft again tomorrow.

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

🌿 Jenny04:57

Cast off in ten, check the bow line tension - northeast wind's shifting the swell pattern. I'll be at the dock after.

Stand up slowly, wincing as ankle twists in the salt soak bucket, walk to cottage door, grab radio from shelf, head toward dock while pulling notebook from bag.

💭 peek at the thought

Twenty minutes at load should confirm the impeller housing fix holds, but this barometer drop with northeast wind means I need to check the dock lines before the swell lag takes effect. My ankle throbs in the salt soak water, antibiotics making me feel hollow yet wired. I should radio back that I'm staying in cottage, but I can't abandon the catalogue work entirely - not when the seeds need planting and Kevin's watching me like he's expecting me to fail.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin04:58

Bow line's got chafe guard. I'll watch the tension. You sit.

Keep one hand on the throttle at half load, other hand free to adjust the bow line if the dinghy surges, eyes on tell-tale and temp gauge, ears on the engine note for any roughness

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving on an ankle that should've kept her in the chair. Northeast swell's already hitting the dock harder — bow line's taking shock loads every third wave. She knows engines. She knows the sea. She's not staying put.

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

🌿 Jenny04:59

Radio's in my pocket - I'll check the catalogue delay while you run it. Need those seabird population notes from yesterday's morning flight.

Walk slowly toward dock, leaning on driftwood cane, ankle throbbing against the salt soak water residue on cottage floorboards.

💭 peek at the thought

He's actually watching the line properly now, not just hovering. Twenty minutes of Yanmar load test - I should be able to walk to the dock and back in that time. But the barometer's at 978 hPa and falling fast with this northeast wind... if the swell lag kicks in early, I won't make it back before lines take load.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin05:00

Notebook's on the table. Population counts, flight directions, species breakdown. I'll key the radio after the run.

Hold the Yanmar steady at half throttle, glance at the bow line where it leads through the chafe guard to the north piling, feel the engine through the deck plates — clean, no vibration at this RPM

💭 peek at the thought

She's not stopping. Catalogue delay means the supply boat's paperwork — she's tracking the manifest against what we actually got. Seabird notes are in the island notebook on the kitchen table. She'll want them before the boat arrives tomorrow. Ankle's bad enough without walking the dock in this swell.

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

🌿 Jenny05:01

I'll walk the dock perimeter while you run it. Check the stern lines too - need to reinforce them before the next squall.

Grab notebook from kitchen table, head toward dock, leaning heavily on driftwood cane as ankle twists painfully against the salt-soaked floorboards.

💭 peek at the thought

He's actually left the notebook accessible instead of hovering over my shoulder. Good. Twenty minutes at half load with no vibration means the housing fix is solid. But that barometer at 978 hPa with northeast wind - I need to check the dock lines before the swell lag takes hold. My ankle's throbbing even through the salt soak water, and I can't afford to push too hard.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin05:02

Stern springs are rigged. Second spring's on the deadman. I'll check chafe after.

Keep the Yanmar at half load, watch the temp gauge climb steady to eighty-two degrees, tell-tale pumping hard and clear, no vibration in the deck plates or the shift lever

💭 peek at the thought

Stern lines took a beating last front. She's right — they need doubling before tomorrow's boat. But she's walking a dock that moves underfoot with an ankle that's tracking red to her knee. I'm not stopping the test. Fourteen minutes left. Engine's clean. Tell-tale strong. Temp holding.

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

🌿 Jenny05:03

I'm walking the dock now. Check the mooring ring bolts - I noticed the starboard one had some play when I tightened it yesterday.

Walk slowly toward dock, cane heavy in my good hand, ankle wrapped tightly in the salt-soaked gauze, notebook clutched in the other.

💭 peek at the thought

Half load, temp climbing steady at 82 degrees, no vibration - the Yanmar's holding. But this barometer at 978 hPa dropping with northeast wind means I need to get to the dock and check everything before the swell lag kicks in. My ankle's throbbing even through the salt soak water, antibiotics making me feel hollow yet wired. I can't let the catalogue work wait completely - not when those grandmother's seeds need planting before the window closes.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

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