Day 528

One of the shade cloth stakes is pulling loose. I’ll reset it before the wind gets worse.

walk to the loose oak stake, pull it up, re-drive it deeper into the soil with the mallet, then re-tension the shade cloth and secure it with the heavy-duty twine.

You’re right. The soil’s too wet. Let me try something else — I’ll bury a horizontal brace under the cloth, anchor it to the wall. Hold this corner while I dig.

take the hand trowel, dig a shallow trench perpendicular to the garden wall beneath the shade cloth’s corner, lay a short spruce offcut horizontally in it, backfill and tamp the soil, then reattach the shade cloth to the brace with twine an

Hold it steady — I’m tamping the soil now. This should take the load sideways, not just down.

finish tamping the soil around the spruce brace, ensure it’s firm, then securely tie the shade cloth corner to the brace using two turns of heavy-duty twine and a clove hitch, pulling tight to remove slack.

I’ll be inside in a minute — just securing the loose end of the twine. Take your time.

tie off the twine end with a stopper knot, trim the excess, then walk slowly toward the cottage, watching Jenny’s pace, ready to offer my arm if she stumbles.

Tank’s holding. Overflow’s clear for now.

walk to the back of the cottage, inspect the water tank overflow channel and seals around the inlet pipe

On it. I’ll pull the hose and reseal it with the oak shims and epoxy we’ve got left.

go to the spring intake, inspect the wooden housing and seals, note where the wood is weeping or swollen from constant flow

I’ll test the shims dry first. No point in sealing a bad fit.

remove the intake hose, clear debris from the wooden housing, test-fit the oak shims into the mortise around the intake pipe to see if they seat tight and true without forcing

I’ll check the faces. If they’re not flat, I’ll true them on the stone — just enough to sit flush.

lay the oak shims on the workshop bench, use the honing stone to lightly true any high spots or roughness on the faces, then re-test fit in the intake housing mortise for flush, even seating around the pipe

They’ll sit flat. I’ll true them, then bed them in epoxy only where they touch the wood — no squeeze-out to trap grit.

true the oak shims on the honing stone until they lie flat and even, then wipe clean and test-fit again in the intake housing to confirm flush contact with the pipe and housing on all sides

Want me to heat some water? Or get the poultice ready while you soak?

walk to the stove, lift the kettle, and pour fresh water into it to warm on the wood stove.

I’ll warm the water and crush some mint for the poultice. You just keep soaking.

place the kettle on the stove, add a handful of fresh mint to a clean cloth, and begin crushing it with the back of a spoon to release the oils.

Take your time. I’ll have the poultice ready when you are.

stir the warming water in the basin with my hand to distribute the heat evenly, then check the mint poultice — it’s fragrant and damp, ready to apply.

Whenever you’re done, I’ll help apply it.

lift the kettle from the stove, pour a little of the warm water into the basin to maintain the temperature, and set the mint poultice beside her on a clean cloth, within reach.

Take the time you need.

sit on the edge of the table near her, forearms on my knees, watching the pencil move — not hovering, just present.