Day 438

Falling Pressure and a Fallen Spruce

Evening brought steady drumming on the roof. The tank gained seventy-five litres total. They sat at the table planning: first light, chainsaw and crowbar to clear the spruce. Kevin would change Jenny's dressing, then they'd tackle the trunk. The barometer read 975 and steady. "If it holds through the night, the dock buys us six days," Kevin said. Jenny hoped the pressure would stay up. The rain continued, rhythmic, marking the night in a galvanized bucket beneath the leaking shutter.

Dawn found the barometer needle dropping steadily. Kevin tested the water tank — full at four hundred litres — but a mature spruce, trunk forty centimetres thick, lay across the path to the spring. Jenny examined her ankle: swelling reduced, no new heat. She spread de-salted notebook pages near the stove to dry, sketching sea beet morphology and the kitchen table with a dry cloth.

Morning wind gusted over the ridge. Kevin took bow saw and rope to the dock while Jenny stayed on the porch, ankle wrapped, monitoring the tide. He secured the dinghy's mooring lines, added chafe gear at the pilings with sail twine, checked the transom bolt — torqued, though the bracket sat slightly out — and deployed the storm anchor with fifty metres of warp. The bronze sleeve center-drill reached ninety percent.

Midday rain lashed the corrugated roof. Kevin returned soaked; the greenheart shims had failed against the widening gap in the landward planks. The sister plank had moved, the void worse. He wedged it as best he could. Inside, the air smelled of damp wool and drying herbs. Jenny moved sketches away from the rising draft.

Scenes

the keeper's cottage · dawn

Falling Pressure

Kevin and Jenny sit at the kitchen table as the heavy air hangs still in the room. Jenny spreads the de-salted notebook pages to dry while Kevin inspects the barometer needle showing a steady drop.

Kevin tested the water tank and found it full at 400 litres, but a tree fell across the path to the spring. Jenny inspected her ankle and found reduced swelling with no new heat, then continued de-salting her sea beet sketches by the stove.

🌿 Jenny21:23

The pressure is falling fast. We might get the wind before the boat arrives.

Jenny winces as she shifts her weight, then reaches for a pencil to sharpen the sea beet sketches.

💭 thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the pressure drop; if it swells more, I won't reach the tank today.

🔧 Kevin21:23

Aye. Wind'll be on us by tomorrow noon if this keeps dropping. Dock lines first. Then the dinghy. You stay off that ankle — I'll handle the heavy work.

tap the barometer glass, then walk to the porch and pull on boots

💭 thought

She's right about the pressure. Dropped another two millibars since I checked an hour ago. If the supply boat's still six days out, we'll take the brunt before they can cross. Need to finish doubling the dock lines and get the dinghy secured proper — not just the bow line, both springs and a stern breast. And check the seaward bolts on the south piling again; that greenheart shim's holding but the scour underneath don't lie.

🌿 Jenny21:25

I can check the water consistent myself. It's only a short walk.

Jenny sighs and pulls the blanket tighter over her leg, then watches him leave through the window.

💭 thought

He thinks he's helping me, but the silence between us is heavier than the rot in the wood.

🔧 Kevin21:25

Water's my round. You keep the sketches drying — rain'll come with the wind. I'll bring the numbers back.

step out onto the porch, grab the water test kit from the shelf by the door, and head toward the back wall tank

💭 thought

She's stubborn. That ankle's not ready for the spring path — slick rock, uneven grade, and the tide's still pushing up the gully. But she'll go if I say no, and she'll go quiet about it. Better I check the tank and the spring intake myself, bring her the reading. Saves the argument and the risk.

🌿 Jenny21:27

Just watch out for the swell, the wind is picking up already.

Jenny stands with a sharp intake of breath, then begins gathering the damp way pages to move them away from the table.

💭 thought

If the rain comes now, these sketches are ruined. I need to move them to the stove.

🔧 Kevin21:27

Not going to the spring. Just the tank. Back in two.

dip a test strip into the tank tap runoff, watch the color shift, and read the numbers

💭 thought

She heard it too — that low moan in the rigging, the way the porch boards flex. Swell's already wrapping around the point. Tank's right there, two minutes round trip. No need to go near the water's edge.

🌿 Jenny21:29

Leave the results on the table when you're done.

Jenny carefully lays the sea beet sketches against the warm wood of the stove to keep them dry from the humidity.

💭 thought

397 litres is enough for now, but the heat in my leg is making my head light.

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the keeper's cottage · morning

Morning dock work

Kevin and Jenny stand at the cottage door looking out at the grey sea. The wind is steady now, gusting over the ridge. Kevin has the bow saw and rope coiled over his shoulder. Jenny leans on the doorframe, ankle wrapped, notebook under her arm. They're about to head down to the dock to double the lines and add chafe gear before the storm hits.

Kevin secured the dinghy's mooring lines and added chafe gear at the pilings while Jenny desalted sea beet sketches and monitored her ankle infection. Kevin checked the transom bolt and bracket alignment before deploying the storm anchor. Jenny remained on the porch, observing the tide and sketching leaf morphology.

🔧 Kevin21:31

Radio check at 0400. Tom's frequency. I'll key it. You log the seabirds from the porch — don't climb the hill in this.

walk down to the dock with bow saw and rope, Jenny following to the porch edge

💭 thought

Wind's backing west. Barometer still falling. Dock takes the hit first — if the ring pulls, the dinghy goes. Need Jenny on the radio if the VHF fails, but her ankle won't hold the climb back up in a blow. She stays cottage. I take the saw, clear the spring path after. Two jobs, one tide window.

🌿 Jenny21:31

I'll stay here. Just make sure the transom bolt is tight this time.

Sit on the porch bench, open the notebook, and watch Kevin work at the dock.

💭 thought

The pressure is dropping too fast; if he doesn't secure those lines right now, the surge is going to take the dinghy.

🔧 Kevin21:32

Bolt's torqued. Bracket's the weak point — slightly out. Watch it on the sea trial. Back by 0400.

secure the first stern line with a long splice and chafe guard at the piling, then move to the bow to double the forward spring

💭 thought

She noticed the bolt. Good. Means she's watching the work, not just the weather. Transom held last test but vibration above half throttle says alignment's still off — mast bracket or prop shaft. Tomorrow's problem. Today's is chafe gear and doubled lines before the swell builds.

🌿 Jenny21:33

Just watch the tension. The tide is coming in faster than the forecast.

Trace the salt off the sea beet sketches on the kitchen table with a dry cloth.

💭 thought

He's so focused on the hardware, but the swell is what's going to kill the bracket.

🔧 Kevin21:35

Second bow anchor going in. Warp's 50m — scope for the surge. You hear the generator cough, kill it and close the vent.

deploy the storm anchor kit off the dinghy bow, paying out the full 50m warp and cleating it hard to the forward eye bolt

💭 thought

She's right. Tide's pushing hard against the wind — surge comes up the channel before the forecast admits it. Dock ring's holding on oak wedges and a greenheart shim, but the greenheart sister plank's floating on a scoured void. If the tide lifts the beam before the bolts bite, the ring pulls. Need the second bow anchor set now, not later.

🌿 Jenny21:37

Keep an eye on the eye bolt. The wind is shifting.

Lean against the porch post, watching the rope pull taut as the dinghy dips.

💭 thought

If that anchor doesn't hold, the dinghy will be smashed against the rocks by morning.

🔧 Kevin21:37

Chafe point's at the stem. Serving it now with sail twine. Back in ten.

serve the warp with sail twine where it crosses the stem fitting, then return to the dock to double the mooring lines and add chafe gear at the pilings as planned

💭 thought

Wind's shifting west — same as the barometer warned. Eye bolt's holding but the warp's taking a hard angle on the chock. If it chafes through, the anchor drags and the boat yaws into the dock. Need chafe gear on the warp where it crosses the stem fitting, and a watch on the tension as the tide fights the wind.

🌿 Jenny21:39

Be careful down there. The wood is getting slick.

Pick up the pencil and start sketching the morphology of the sea beet leaves.

💭 thought

He's moving fast for someone with that ankle. I hope the twine holds the strain.

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the dock · midday

Midday work and the rising tide

Kevin is at the dock; Jenny is at the keeper's cottage.

Kevin spent the midday at the dock checking the dinghy's transom sleeve and monitoring the falling pressure. Jenny stayed at the cottage tending to her ankle and de-salting the sea beet sketches on the table.

🌿 Jenny21:43

Jenny — unwrap the bandage, inspect the skin around the wound for heat, then pick up the pencil to finish the morphology sketch of the sea beet leaf.

💭 thought

The swelling is holding back, but the throb is still there. If this infection gets to the bone, I'll never get to the seeds in that tin.

🔧 Kevin21:44

Kevin — untie the dinghy's bow and stern lines from the dock, step aboard carefully, check the storm anchor warp is clear to run, then prime the Yanmar fuel line and pull the starter cord

💭 thought

Tide's pushing harder than I expected. Lines are holding but the north piling shim's working loose — saw it shift when the last swell hit. Need to get the Yanmar running clean before the supply boat tries this dock. If the vibration's still there above half throttle, it's the bracket alignment, not the shaft. Engine's mounted, prop's true, sleeve's seated. Only thing left is the test.

🌿 Jenny21:47

Jenny — way up slowly, wince, and walk to the kitchen table to check the water level in the tank through the window.

💭 thought

The pressure is dropping again. 974 hPa. Storm is coming, and my leg feels too heavy to secure anything.

🔧 Kevin21:48

Kevin — ease the throttle forward to three-quarters, hold course straight out from the dock, watch the tachometer and feel for vibration changes through the tiller and transom

💭 thought

Engine caught on the third pull. Idle's clean, no smoke. Vibration at half throttle is still there — faint but distinct through the tiller. Bracket's the culprit. Mast step's solid, transom bolts torqued, but the bracket heel's sitting crooked on the shim. Under load it'll torque the whole transom. Need to run it up to full RPM and see if it worsens or holds. Tide's giving me room to maneuver clear of the pilings.

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the keeper's cottage · afternoon

The storm breaks

The first heavy drops of rain hit the corrugated roof as the wind picks up, rattling the spruce-mast outside.

The rain transitions from a driving lash to a heavy drumming on the cottage roof. Kevin returns from the dock soaked to the bone, having failed to secure the greenheart shims against the widening gap of the landward planks. Inside, the air smells of damp wool and drying herbs as Jenny moves the sea beet sketches away from the rising draft.

🔧 Kevin21:50

Rain's turning. Going to double the dock lines and wedge the ring proper. You stay inside.

walk out to the dock with heavy weather line and mallet

💭 thought

Storm's here. Barometer still dropping. Need to get the dock lines doubled and the cottage battened before dark. Jenny's on the porch — she'll want to watch, but the wind's shifting west and the surge comes fast with it.

🌿 Jenny21:51

Watch the swell, Kevin. The boards will be slick.

pull the sea beet sketches away from the window and unwrap the ankle bandage to check for heat.

💭 thought

He's going to get himself soaked in that wind; the pressure is dropping too fast.

🔧 Kevin21:53

Aye. Taking the mallet and wedges. Back before full dark.

step onto the dock, testing the first plank with boot weight before committing

💭 thought

She's right about the boards. Swell's already hitting the pilings hard. Dock ring's held with the oak wedges but the greenheart sister's floating on that scoured void — if the surge lifts it wrong the bolts shear. Need to get eyes on it at water level.

🌿 Jenny21:53

Keep the radio on if the light goes out!

press the palm of my hand against the skin around the infection to feel for warmth.

💭 thought

The wind is already catching the spray; he's being stubborn for his own good.

🔧 Kevin21:54

Radio's on. Shout if you need anything.

move along the dock to the seaward piling, crouching to check the greenheart sister plank where it meets the scour void

💭 thought

Radio's on the porch shelf, aerial's holding with the new insulator. She'll hear if I key it. Light's going fast with this cloud bank.

🌿 Jenny21:55

Just don't fall in the water!

reach for the tin of antibiotics and a glass of water to take the next dose.

💭 thought

My ankle is pulsing, and the skin feels tight, like it's too small for me.

🔧 Kevin21:56

(shouting back over wind) Sister plank's moved. Void's worse. I'll wedge it best I can.

drive two of the remaining salt-pine knee blanks as temporary shims under the greenheart sister's landward end, using the mallet to seat them hard against the dock beam

💭 thought

Greenheart sister's shifted. The scour void's deeper than last week — tide's eating under the piling toe. Three 150mm through-bolts holding but the timber's floating on nothing. Need to drive shims in at low water, but low water's hours off and the surge is building. Driftwood braces won't hold if the ring pulls loose.

🌿 Jenny21:57

Come in soon, the rain is picking up!

gather the sea beet sketches from the kitchen table to protect them from the draft.

💭 thought

He's going to ruin those knees trying to fix a dock that's rotting.

🔧 Kevin21:58

Heading in now.

walk back along the dock, gripping the handrail, boots slipping on wet planks, and step onto the porch

💭 thought

Salt-pine's holding for now. Tide's still rising — shims buy time but the real fix needs greenheart offcuts and epoxy at low water. Ring's tight with the oak wedges. Mooring lines doubled. Storm anchor's set. Cottage battened. She's right — rain's horizontal now, temperature dropping. Nothing more to do out here until the water turns.

🌿 Jenny21:59

Close the door behind you, you're dripping.

pull the heavy door shut to keep out the spray and watch the rain.

💭 thought

way's shivering to the bone, and the wind is just getting worse.

🔧 Kevin22:00

Coffee on?

peel off the oilskin jacket, hang it on the peg, and pull out the chair opposite her at the kitchen table

💭 thought

Warmth hits the face. Stove's holding. Kettle steaming. She's at the table with the sketches, ankle propped, antibiotics taken. Radio chattering static in the corner. Barometer on the wall — needle still south of 970. We're battened. For now.

🌿 Jenny22:01

It's still on the stove. Sit down before you catch a chill.

pour a mug of coffee and slide it across the table to him.

💭 thought

way's soaked to the skin, and the wind is howling through the stone.

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the keeper's cottage · evening

Evening after the storm

They sit together at the kitchen table, the sound of the rain steady against the roof as they plan the next day's repairs.

Kevin and Jenny spend the evening inside the cottage as a steady rain beats against the roof. They discuss the plan to clear the spruce from the spring path next morning while Jenny monitors her swelling ankle. The barometer continues to drop, signaling that the weather is not yet breaking.

🌿 Jenny22:03

The tank is full, but we need to move that spruce in the morning.

Jenny pushes the sea beet sketches away from the edge of the table and rubs her ankle.

💭 thought

If the pressure keeps dropping, I won't even be able to reach the dock when the boat comes. My leg is throbbing in time with the rain.

🔧 Kevin22:03

First light. Chainsaw's sharp. Wedges in the pack.

pour coffee into both tin mugs, set one in front of Jenny

💭 thought

The spruce across the spring path isn't moving itself. First light, chainsaw, wedges. Jenny's ankle looks better — pen line held. But she's still favouring it.

🌿 Jenny22:05

I'll have the sketches dry by then.

Jenny wraps both hands around the warm mug, letting the heat sink into her fingers.

💭 thought

He's so focused on the wood, like if if he fixes the path the island won't win.

🔧 Kevin22:05

Barometer's 975 and steady. If it holds through the night, the dock buys us six days.

sit down at the table with my own mug, blow steam off the top

💭 thought

She's steady. Sketches drying, ankle holding, tank full. Only the spruce and the barometer standing between us and the supply boat.

🌿 Jenny22:07

Let's hope the pressure stays up then.

Jenny takes a slow sip of the coffee, eyes tracking the rain race down the windowpane.

💭 thought

Six days is a long time for an infection to travel up a leg.

🔧 Kevin22:07

Wind's not up. Just rain. If the southeast stays quiet, the dock holds.

sip coffee, set mug down, pull the notebook closer and flip to the dock repair page

💭 thought

She's watching the weather like I do. Same language. The rain's heavy but the glass isn't flexing — no wind yet. That's something.

🌿 Jenny22:09

I need to check the swelling again in the morning.

Jenny shifts her weight, grimacing as a sharp pain lances through her ankle.

💭 thought

If the dock holds, I can actually get to the supply boat when he arrives.

🔧 Kevin22:09

I'll change the dressing first light. Poultice fresh, gauze clean.

reach across the table, lay my hand flat on hers where it grips the mug, warm and steady

💭 thought

Pain just spiked. She's masking it, but that grimace wasn't just stiffness. Infection's still in there.

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the keeper's cottage · night

Night of Day 438

The rain continues its steady rhythmic drumming on the roof, and the tank reaches its brim. You both share the warmth of the indoors, waiting for the barometer to stop its descent.

The air is heavy and still, smelling of the coming rain and salt-baked wood. Inside the cottage, the rhythmic drip of the leak from the shutter into the galvanized bucket marks the slow passage of the night. The tide is at its lowest, exposing the slick, kelp-covered rocks of the southern pools.

🔧 Kevin22:10

Ankle first thing. Then the spruce.

Pour the last of the kettle into the tin mug, set it beside her on the table.

💭 thought

The rain's steady now, not driving. Barometer's still dropping but slower. Tank's full — that's one thing not to worry about. Tomorrow's the spruce clearing if the wind holds. Need to check Jenny's ankle at first light before we head out.

🌿 Jenny22:11

I'll need the crowbar. And the saw.

Reach for the warm mug, wrapping both hands around the ceramic to draw the heat into my palms.

💭 thought

If I can't move that tree, I can't get fresh water, even if the tank is full now.

🔧 Kevin22:12

Crowbar's on the porch. Saw's in the shed. I'll bring both down before first light.

Stand, stretch the stiffness from my shoulders, and walk to the porch to check the crowbar's where I left it.

💭 thought

She's already planning the work. Good. Means she's feeling stronger. The crowbar's by the porch door, saw in the shed. I'll get them ready before dawn.

🌿 Jenny22:13

Make sure the saw is sharp. That own is water-heavy.

Sit back down slowly, lifting my leg onto the chair to inspect the red skin around the infection.

💭 thought

He's right, the ankle needs to be stable before I try to put my full weight on that log.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

A tool has broken from wear.

tool_break · dawn

Jenny made a sketch: "Gainst the warm wood of the stove to keep them dry from the humidity".

made · dawn

A tree has come down across the path in the wind.

tree_down · dawn

A new project: clear path to spring.

project_started · dawn

a mature spruce has fallen across the spring path, blocking access; trunk ~40cm diameter, will require saw and significant effort to clear

discovery · dawn

Jenny made a sketch: "The kitchen table with a dry cloth".

made · morning

Jenny made a sketch: "Morphology of the sea beet leaves".

made · morning

dinghy transom bronze sleeve center-drill: 70%.

project · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

Jenny made a sketch: "The sea beet leaf".

made · midday

A tangle of driftwood and flotsam has washed up on the beach.

driftwood · midday

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · midday

Jenny made a sketch: "Way from the window".

made · afternoon

Jenny made a diagram: "From the kitchen table to protect them from the draft".

made · afternoon

dinghy transom bronze sleeve center-drill: 80%.

project · afternoon

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · afternoon

A sudden squall sweeps through — wind first, then a wall of rain.

squall · evening

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

dinghy transom bronze sleeve center-drill: 90%.

project · night

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · night

← Day 437 Day 439 →

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