← Days

Day 251

Mooring Ring and Bearing Check

The barometer read 1000 hPa at dawn, dropping steadily as the trade wind tugged the dinghy at the dock. Kevin and Jenny stood on the planks, the radio humming static in the workshop. Kevin scanned frequencies. "4125 dead. 6215 dead. 8291 — wait," he said. Jenny listened. "Got him. 'Sorrel Island, three days, decision by noon tomorrow.' That's the window." The tide pulled out, exposing the northern shelf. They walked the rocks, Jenny sketching sea beet salt glands, Kevin prying limpets with a crowbar. "Just watch your step, the rocks are slicker than they look," she said. Back at the dock, the mooring ring walked in its mortise. "Wedges split. Mortise is dust. Need through-bolts and epoxy, or a sister knee," Kevin said. They fetched a steel backing plate and long stainless bolts from the workshop. Jenny held the flashlight while Kevin drilled through the plate into the stone. "Hold it steady. If the bit catches, pull the light back — don't let it swing," he said. She kept the beam fixed. "It's holding. Keep that pace." They seated washers and threaded bolts, the plate bedded in epoxy. Later, Kevin hauled the dinghy on the railway and pulled the cutless bearing sleeve with the bearing puller. The bronze surface was clean; no hidden pitting in the bore. The shaft showed no scoring. The tide turned in, lapping the lower pilings as they finished.

The barometer read 1000 hPa at dawn, dropping steadily as the trade wind tugged the dinghy at the dock. Kevin and Jenny stood on the planks, the radio humming static in the workshop. Kevin scanned frequencies. "4125 dead. 6215 dead. 8291 — wait," he said. Jenny listened. "Got him. 'Sorrel Island, three days, decision by noon tomorrow.' That's the window." The tide pulled out, exposing the northern shelf. They walked the rocks, Jenny sketching sea beet salt glands, Kevin prying limpets with a crowbar. "Just watch your step, the rocks are slicker than they look," she said. Back at the dock, the mooring ring walked in its mortise. "Wedges split. Mortise is dust. Need through-bolts and epoxy, or a sister knee," Kevin said. They fetched a steel backing plate and long stainless bolts from the workshop. Jenny held the flashlight while Kevin drilled through the plate into the stone. "Hold it steady. If the bit catches, pull the light back — don't let it swing," he said. She kept the beam fixed. "It's holding. Keep that pace." They seated washers and threaded bolts, the plate bedded in epoxy. Later, Kevin hauled the dinghy on the railway and pulled the cutless bearing sleeve with the bearing puller. The bronze surface was clean; no hidden pitting in the bore. The shaft showed no scoring. The tide turned in, lapping the lower pilings as they finished.

Scenes

the dock · dawn

The Morning Tension Check

Kevin and Jenny stand on the dock planks as the trade wind pulls at the dinghy. The barometer shows a steady drop to 1000 hPa.

The radio hums with static in the workshop as Kevin and Jenny wait for a signal from the supply boat. The barometer continues its slow dip, and the tide pulls away from the dock.

🔧 Kevin08:23

Dial indicator's in the workshop. You want the radio first, or the bearing?

walk toward the workshop, wiping hands on rag

💭 thought
Barometer's dropped another millibar since dawn. Wind's steady but the swell's building southeast — dock'll take a beating if the boat comes in on this tide. Need to get the dial indicator on that cutless bearing before the light's gone, and the dinghy hauled regardless. Jenny's ankle looks worse in this light.
🌿 Jenny08:24

The radio. I need to know if the boat is actually coming in three days or not.

Jenny wipes wood dust from her eyes and follows him into the workshop.

💭 thought
If I don't fix that ring, the whole jetty will own into the surf when the tide comes high.
🔧 Kevin08:25

Coax is gone. Insulator shattered. Might catch a burst on 4125 if the skipper keys up. Odds are fifty-fifty.

pull the shortwave set from the shelf, check the coaxial connection, power it on

💭 thought
She's asking straight. Good. The radio's coax is shot and the insulator cracked — heard nothing but static on the morning watch. Might get a burst on the supply boat's frequency if the atmospherics hold, but it's a coin toss. She knows that. She's asking anyway.
🌿 Jenny08:25

Just check the frequencies. If we get nothing, I'm starting the cedar wedges on theings ring.

Jenny leans against the workbench, watching the static dance on the dial.

💭 thought
Fifty-fifty is a death sentence when you're running low on calories.
🔧 Kevin08:27

Wedges split. Mortise is dust. Need through-bolts and epoxy, or a sister knee. Radio first.

tune through 4125, 6215, 8291 — the supply boat's usual frequencies — listening for any voice through the static

💭 thought
Cedar wedges won't hold the mooring ring — mortise is too far gone, grain's powder. She knows wood. She's testing me, or testing the radio, or both. The static's thick today. Ionosphere's restless with this pressure drop.
🌿 Jenny08:27

Check it. If it's silent, I'm taking the crowbar to the mooring ring.

Jenny pulls up a stool and watches the needle jump on the radio.

💭 thought
If the boat doesn't come, the dock repair won't save us anyway.
🔧 Kevin08:29

4125 dead. 6215 dead. 8291 — wait.

fine-tune 8291, head cocked, waiting through the hash for a callsign or a burst of voice

💭 thought
Crowbar on a loose ring in a powder mortise — she'll split the timber clean through. She's frustrated, not stupid. The static's a wall. Nothing on 4125. Nothing on 6215. 8291's a maybe — skip's long this time of day. If the boat's within two hundred miles they'd be on 4125. They're not. Or their radio's down. Or they're not coming.
🌿 Jenny08:29

way. Listen.

Jenny holds her breath, leaning closer to the speaker.

💭 thought
If that frequency own dead, I'm eating limpets for a month.
🔧 Kevin08:31

Got him. "Sorrel Island, three days, decision by noon tomorrow." That's the window.

grab the notebook, jot the time, frequency, and the exact words before they fade back into noise

💭 thought
There. A whisper under the static. Male voice. "... Sorrel ... three days ... swell building ... decision by noon tomorrow." Supply boat. Skipper sounds tired. They're reading the same barometer we are.
🌿 Jenny08:31

We have to fix that ring. I can't have the dinghy drifting out.

Jenny wipes wood dust from her eyes and looks at the split cedar wedges.

💭 thought
Three days. If the boat doesn't show, the island is just a tomb.

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the dock · morning

The Morning Radio Silence

Kevin and Jenny stand in the workshop as the sun rises higher. The tide is further out, exposing the rocks of the pools.

No narrator was available, so nothing about this stretch was recorded.

🔧 Kevin08:33

Tide's right for the northern shelf. Sea beet stand's exposed. Want to come or stay with the radio?

lean against the workbench, watching the static needle on the shortwave

💭 thought
Radio's still dead quiet. Tide's dropped another foot since dawn — good window for the pools if we need limpets or sea beet. Jenny's moving stiff on that ankle. She won't say it's bad, but the way she plants the left foot first every step tells me plenty. Need to get the dinghy hauled and check that cutless bearing before the supply boat window closes.
🌿 Jenny08:33

I'm going. I need to check the morphology on the shelf anyway.

Picks up the notebook and crowbar, walking toward the jetty.

💭 thought
The radio is just noise today, and the sea way won't wait for a signal that never comes.
🔧 Kevin08:35

I'll come. Need the crowbar to lever those limpets off the rocks anyway — saves the knife edge.

fall into step beside Jenny, matching her pace, left hand loose but ready to catch her if she stumbles on the wet stones

💭 thought
She's using the work as cover — doesn't want to talk about the ankle, doesn't want me to see her limp. Smart. But the northern shelf's slick with algae this morning; one wrong step and she's in the drink. I won't let her go alone.
🌿 Jenny08:35

Just watch your step, the rocks are slicker than they look.

Steps onto the rotting timber of the dock, avoiding the two soft spots.

💭 thought
He's always thinking about the food while I'm looking at how the world is eroding.
🔧 Kevin08:37

Replaced the seaward two. Inland ones held. Your turn to test them.

follow her onto the jetty, skipping the rotten planks automatically, eyes scanning the tide line for the northern shelf access

💭 thought
She's warning me about the dock planks I replaced last week. Knows every soft spot better than I do — she's the one who walks it twice a day. The ankle's not stopping her from reading the ground.
🌿 Jenny08:37

They seem to hold for now, but the salt is eating the heart of the cedar.

Presses her full weight onto the way ring to test the cedar wedges, listening for the slightest creak in the wood.

💭 thought
If these wedges fail, the whole ring goes to the current and I'm not losing the boat.
🔧 Kevin08:39

Wedges split. Oak's no good in salt. Need longer stainless through-bolts — four of them came on the last supply run. Sitting in the workshop.

stop at the landward end of the jetty, watching the ring's mortise for movement as she weights it

💭 thought
She's testing the mooring ring I wedged with oak three days ago. Heard it shift under the dinghy's weight yesterday when the swell pushed in. The wedges split — cedar's too soft for this load. Needs proper through-bolts or a sister knee. Supply boat's due in three days; if she hits the ring hard coming alongside, the whole seaward corner goes.
🌿 Jenny08:40

We'll use the bolts. I can't wait for the next tide to pull these loose.

Shifts her weight, watching the ring for even a millimeter of movement.

💭 thought
The wood is tired, just like me. It's only holding on by memory.
🔧 Kevin08:41

Drill the stringer and piling. Epoxy the holes. Bed the bolts. Two hours. You hold the drill steady, I'll feed the bit.

turn back toward the workshop to fetch the drill, 10mm bit, epoxy tub, and the four stainless through-bolts with washers and nylocs

💭 thought
She's right. The ring's shifting under static load — dynamic load from the supply boat's bow line will tear it clean out. Bolts are 150mm, 10mm stainless. Need to drill through the stringer and the landward piling, epoxy the holes, bed the bolts. Two hours work if the epoxy holds in this heat. Should do it now, before the tide turns and we lose the dock face.
🌿 Jenny08:41

I'll hold it. Just don't let the bit jump across the wood.

Kneels on the damp deck, placing a hand over the way ring, waiting for the tools.

💭 thought
If I don't get this right, the wayhy drifts before the boat arrives.

Open this scene on its own page →

the keeper's cottage · midday

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin spent the afternoon inspecting the dinghy's cutless bearing while the tide began to turn in. Jenny focused on the heirloom seeds, checking for moisture levels and sketching the morphology of the sea beet plants.

🌿 Jenny08:46

The pressure is falling faster than I liked. If that storm hits before the supply boat arrives, we aren't getting the boat into the water.

Close the notebook, wipe the salt dust off the table, and check the radio frequency for a signal.

💭 thought
The barometer is sitting at 998 hPa now—the pressure is dropping and I can feel it in my joints before the needle even shows it. Kevin is out there with the engine, probably chasing a fuel leak, but I'm looking at these sea beet sketches. The salt glands are so complex, these little filters working overtime to survive this godfors rock. If the dock doesn't hold, the whole project own into the sea. I need to check the seed tin again; the humidity is rising.
🔧 Kevin08:46

Boat's not the worry. Dock is. Mooring ring held last blow but the mortise is soft. Another cycle like that and she'll work the bolts loose.

walk to the porch and check the barometer again, then pick up the radio handset

💭 thought
Barometer's dropped eight millibars since this morning. She's right — if the southeast holds and deepens, the boat won't cross. Need the dinghy secured and the Yanmar ready to run if we have to move her.
🌿 Jenny08:47

I'll get the heavy bolts and the epoxy. We need to reinforce the frame before the tide turns again.

Stand up stiffly, grab the heavy tool kit, and head toward the dock.

💭 thought
He's right about the mortise; the wood is like wet cardboard there. If that ring goes, we lose the dinghy and we lose everything. I should have secured the wedges two days ago, but I was busy obsessing over salt combination.
🔧 Kevin08:47

I'll get the oak wedges and the mallet. Meet you there.

grab the oak wedges and mallet from the workshop shelf and follow her down the path to the dock

💭 thought
She's moving stiff. Ankle's worse than she'll say. Should go with her — two hands on the ring, and I can watch how she's actually walking.
🌿 Jenny08:49

way. The tide is coming in and the pressure is shifting.

Walk to the dock, inspect the way ring, and set the tool kit down on the planks.

💭 thought
The wood is groaning under the tension. I can see the salt crystals blooming in the cracks of the cedar—it's not just surface, it's structural failure. I need those wedges to be perfect to stop the gaps before the bolts pull through.
🔧 Kevin08:49

Ring's loose. Mortise is shot. We need to cut it true and sleeve it with bronze — or at least drive new oak deep and pour epoxy round.

kneel and probe the mortise with the nail puller, checking how far the rot goes

💭 thought
She didn't wait. Already at the ring, testing it with her boot. Pain's in her step — she's favouring the left but won't admit it. Mortise is wet and crumbling at the edges; the old cedar shims are split and useless.

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the keeper's cottage · afternoon

Evening Meal Prep

Kevin and Jenny meet in the cottage kitchen as the sun begins to dip. The air is cooling slightly, but the sound of the incoming tide is louder.

Kevin and Jenny inspected the mooring ring at the dock, finding it loose in a crumbling mortise. Kevin fetched a steel plate and drill to reinforce it with through-bolts, while Jenny held the light and assessed the damage. They decided to install a backing plate and long stainless bolts to secure the ring before the tide worsens.

🌿 Jenny08:51

The barometer is dropping. We need to check the moorings again.

Set the seed tin on the table and wipe my hands on my apron.

💭 thought
The dock is rotting from the inside out while he's staring at a fuel float.
🔧 Kevin08:51

Aye. Dinghy first — the bearing's got play and she'll work the lines harder in a swell. Then the dock ring.

Walk to the porch, pull on my boots, grab the headlamp from the hook, and head down to the dock.

💭 thought
She's right. Barometer's at 999 and falling. The cutless bearing clearance at 0.35mm means the shaft's got play. If the swell picks up tonight, the dinghy's going to dance on its lines. Better check them now while there's light.
🌿 Jenny08:53

I'll bring the crowbar and the wedges. The wood looks soft.

Grab the notebook and the flashlight, following him down to the slippery steps.

💭 thought
If that ring pulls, the whole thing goes, and we're stuck with weeds.
🔧 Kevin08:53

Crowbar's good — we'll need to lift the ring to see what's underneath. Flashlight on low; don't want to spook the rats nesting in the pilings.

Reach the dock, shine the light on the mooring ring where it sits in the stone mortise, and jab the crowbar under the flange to feel for play.

💭 thought
Soft wood means the mooring ring's working loose in its mortise. New bolts helped, but if the timber's rotting around the hole, we're just buying time. Need to check depth and consider sistering or a through-bolt plate if we can't get holdfast.
🌿 Jenny08:55

way. If you snap the wood, the whole ring might shift.

Kneel on the damp planks, shining the light directly into the gap where the metal meets the stone.

💭 thought
It's more than just play; the cedar is turning to mush.
🔧 Kevin08:55

Not prying it out. Just feeling how much the ring walks in the hole.

Ease the crowbar tip under the flange, apply slow upward pressure — just enough to see if the ring lifts or the stone shifts — while watching the bolt heads for movement.

💭 thought
She's not wrong — the mortise edges are crumbling. Too much leverage and we'll lose what little bite the bolts have left. Need to feel the movement first, not force it.
🌿 Jenny08:57

It's loose. The wedges won't hold if the tide picks up.

Reach out and give the ring a sharp tug, watching the wobble in the stone.

💭 thought
It's moving too easily. The salt has eaten the heart of that wood.
🔧 Kevin08:57

Wedges are done. Mortise is crumbling. We'll need a backing plate on the far side — through-bolt the lot with the long stainless. You hold the light steady. I'll fetch the plate steel and drill.

Stand up, wipe hands on thighs, and head back toward the cottage to grab the steel plate off the porch, the drill, the 10mm bit, and the four long stainless through-bolts with washers and nyloc nuts.

💭 thought
The mortise is shot. Stone's crumbling around the bolts — the ring's got a good half-inch of play side to side. Wedges are useless in rot. Need a backing plate through-bolted to sound timber, or we sister the whole face. The longer stainless through-bolts from the supply boat (10mm x 150mm) should reach clean through to the backside if we can get a plate on the far side.
🌿 Jenny08:59

I'll hold the light. Don't let it slip when you're drilling.

Squat down on my knees, bracing the flashlight against the narrow gap between the ring and the stone, waiting for him to return.

💭 thought
If we don't fix this now, the dinghy is lost when the next surge hits.
🔧 Kevin08:59

Generator's on. Drill's in the porch. Back in two minutes.

Jog back up the slippery steps to the cottage porch, grab the corded drill, 10mm bit, the 6mm steel plate (300x300mm), four 10mm x 150mm stainless through-bolts with washers and nyloc nuts, and the socket set, then jog back down to the dock

💭 thought
She's steady. Good. The drill's corded — generator's running smooth with the new diaphragm. Need to hit the center of the existing bolt pattern so the new holes don't intersect the old rot. Four bolts through a 6mm plate, 150mm reach. If the backside timber's sound, that ring ain't moving again.
🌿 Jenny09:01

Hurry up. The tide is coming in faster than I thought.

Adjust the beam deeper into the rotting mortise, watching the grey fibers of the cedar disintegrate.

💭 thought
The wood is like wet cardboard. It's a miracle anything is still attached.
🔧 Kevin09:01

Plate goes on first. I'll mark through the old holes, then drill from the front so we stay on center. Keep the light on the mortise — I need to see when we break through.

Kneel at the mortise, lay the steel plate over the mooring ring flange, align it with the old bolt pattern, and use the center punch to mark the four hole centers through the plate onto the ring flange.

💭 thought
Tide's rising fast. Water's lapping the lower pilings now. If we don't get those bolts through before it covers the work face, we'll be fighting buoyancy and slipping tools. Plate first, then drill from the front — use the old bolt holes as guides so we don't wander into more rot.

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the dock · evening

Securing the Mooring Ring

Kevin and Jenny are at the dock, the steel plate laid over the mooring ring flange with hole centers marked. Kevin is about to drill through the plate and into the stone mortise using the 10mm bit, while Jenny holds the flashlight steady to light the work area. The tide is high and still coming in, lapping at the lower pilings.

Kevin spent the evening stabilizing the loose mooring ring by driving cedar wedges into the rotted socket. Jenny focused on documenting the sea beet's salt glands and checking the heirloom seeds for moisture damage.

🔧 Kevin09:04

Hold it steady. If the bit catches, pull the light back — don't let it swing.

drill through the marked centers on the steel plate into the stone mortise with the 10mm bit

💭 thought
Stone's softer than I expected. Drill could wander if I don't keep steady pressure. One shot at this before the tide covers the mortise entirely.
🌿 Jenny09:05

I've got it. Just watch the pressure, the stone is softer than it looks.

brace the flashlight against the narrow gap between the mooring ring and the stone to provide clear light for the drill bit as Kevin works.

💭 thought
The wood around this ring is like wet cardboard; if we don't get these bolts deep into the stone now, the whole assembly will pull away when the next surge hits.
🔧 Kevin09:05

Kevin — keep steady pressure on the drill, letting the bit cut through the steel plate and into the stone mortise without forcing it

💭 thought
She's right — the drill bit wants to walk on the soft stone. Need to let the weight of the drill do the work without forcing it.
🌿 Jenny09:07

It's holding. Keep that pace.

wipe the wood dust from my eyes with the back of a hand and watch the shavings fall into the water.

💭 thought
My knees are screaming from this wood, and if that bit snaps, I'm going to lose my mind.
🔧 Kevin09:07

Kevin — continue drilling steadily through the marked holes, maintaining even pressure as the bit cuts deeper into the stone mortise

💭 thought
Dust in the eyes — glad she wiped it. Shavings sinking fast in the current. Almost through the flange depth.
🌿 Jenny09:09

You're doing fine. Don't speed up now.

shift the flashlight closer to the point where the bit meets the stone to eliminate the shadow of the plate.

💭 thought
If these bolts don't bite, the whole jetty is going into the surf before the boat even arrives.
🔧 Kevin09:09

Kevin — drill to full depth for the through-bolts, then ease off the trigger as the bit clears the stone to avoid blowout on the far side

💭 thought
Bit's biting clean now. No chatter. Just need to hit full depth without breaking through the back of the mortise — stone's thin here.
🌿 Jenny09:11

Good. Let's check the depth before we drop the hardware.

use a thin stick to clear the dust out of the holes, squinting at the stone.

💭 thought
way. If those holes are clean, we can actually get this plate to hold against the next tide.
🔧 Kevin09:12

Depth's good. Clean enough.

pull the drill clear, set it aside, and reach for the 10mm stainless through-bolts with washers and nyloc nuts

💭 thought
Holes look clean. Depth's right — bolts will seat. Stone held better than I feared.
🌿 Jenny09:13

Hand me the washers. I want to align the plate perfectly.

reach out for the bolts, my fingers cold and stiff from the salt air.

💭 thought
way. Now we just need to get these tightened down before the light gets any worse.
🔧 Kevin09:13

Kevin — hand Jenny the washers, then take the bolts and align them with the holes in the steel plate over the mooring ring flange

💭 thought
Washers first, then bolts. Need the plate seated flat before we torque anything.
🌿 Jenny09:15

Hold the plate steady. Don't let it shift while I thread these.

start the first bolt through the washer, feeling the cold metal against my tired skin.

💭 thought
If the wood crumbles under the torque, the whole thing is just for the fish.

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the dock · night

morning inspection of the hull

The first light hits the dock as the tide reaches its lowest point. Kevin prepares to haul the dinghy to check the cutless bearing.

Kevin and Jenny hauled the dinghy onto the dock railway to inspect the prop shaft. Kevin used the bearing puller to slide the bronze sleeve off the shaft to check for corrosion or scoring. The metal surface appeared clean, and they found no hidden pitting within the bore of the sleeve.

🔧 Kevin09:16

Kevin — walk down the dock to the dinghy, untie the stern line and forward spring, and haul her up the marine railway using the hand winch until the hull clears the water and the prop shaft's accessible

💭 thought
Tide's at the bottom. Best window to haul her and get the dial indicator on that cutless bearing before the water comes back up. 0.35mm clearance yesterday — if it's crept past 0.4 I'm pulling the shaft and fitting the spare sleeve today.
🌿 Jenny09:17

Check the gap on the sleeve, Kevin. The salt has eaten the metal deeper than the wood.

wipe the grease from my hands on my jeans and lean over the hull to inspect the alignment.

💭 thought
If that bearing is shot, we aren't getting to the mainland if the boat misses us again.
🔧 Kevin09:17

Aye. Salt creep. I'll pull the sleeve and check the shaft under it. If it's pitted, I've got the spare sleeve roughed out — just needs final hone and fit.

grab the bearing puller from the workshop crate, bolt it to the prop flange, and wind it in to press the bronze sleeve off the prop shaft while Jenny watches the gap between sleeve and shaft journal for corrosion or scoring

💭 thought
She's right — the bronze sleeve's seating on the shaft, but the prop nut's torqued and the shaft's still showing that faint vibration. If the sleeve's corroded where it meets the shaft journal, even a true reading on the cutless bearing won't fix the harmonics. Need to pull it and check the seating surface.
🌿 Jenny09:20

Look for scoring on the journal. If it's rough, we're stuck.

crouch lower to get the flashlight closer to the metal surface as the sleeve slides off.

💭 thought
If the shaft is pitted, the new sleeve won't seat and it'll vibrate itself apart.
🔧 Kevin09:20

Kevin — catch the sleeve as it releases, set it on the oarlock bracket to keep it clean, then run my fingernail hard along the prop shaft journal where the sleeve sat, feeling for any ridge or catch that'd indicate scoring deeper than surface pitti

💭 thought
Sleeve's coming free — if the journal's scored past 0.1mm depth, the spare sleeve won't seat true and we'll be running on hope until the supply boat. Jenny's got the light on it now; I need to feel it with my fingernail, see if it catches.
🌿 Jenny09:21

It looks clean, but check the bore of the sleeve for hidden pitting.

wipe the grease off the shaft with a rag and hold the light steady against the metal.

💭 thought
It way smooth enough for now, but the salt is patient. It's waiting for us to stop looking.

Open this scene on its own page →

What changed

3 intentions for today.
plan · dawn
×2
No model answered — the scene closed quietly on its own.
quiet_transition · morning
Kevin and Jenny ate.
meal · morning
sea beet salt glands are highly efficient at excretion
discovery · midday
A pod of dolphins passes close off the point.
dolphins · evening
Kevin and Jenny ate.
meal · evening

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

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