Day 625

Storm Sets In on Sorrel Island

Heavy rain lashed the cottage roof at dawn. The barometer read 998 hPa and falling. Jenny sat on the sofa with her ankle propped high while Kevin monitored the shortwave radio for the supply boat signal. Water seeped through floorboards where the tank leak persisted, pooling in the crawlspace beneath. The tide receded quickly, exposing more rocky shoreline, but visibility dropped to grey sleet. "Supply boat's not coming today. Barometer's 998 and falling. I'm going to check the dinghy lines and run the bilge pump," Kevin said. "Watch the swell on the west side, the tide is coming harder than the forecast," Jenny replied. "Noted. West side gets the full fetch. I'll double the bow line and run a spring to the north piling."

"Don't stay out too long, the deck is slick and the visibility is already gone."

"Won't. Bilge pump, lines, back inside."

"Put the kettle on when you're back."

"On it."

Kevin returned and poured coffee into two tin mugs, pushing one across the table. Jenny thanked him. "Pump's losing ground. Water's coming up through the boards."

"Check the seal on the intake again. If the tank is breached, we lose the whole supply."

"Intake's sound. Tank's on the back wall — this is ground water rising with the tide. The rain tank gained about 25 litres. A coconut crab had visited the garden overnight. By evening, Kevin confirmed the patch held while the pump ran, and Jenny debrided her ankle with saline, noting reduced swelling. Night brought heavier rain, wind shaking shutters, barometer at 992 hPa. They sat with tea, ditch bag and dry bag packed by the door, listening to the storm build.

Scenes

the keeper's cottage · dawn

The Storm Sets In

Heavy rain lashes the cottage roof as the barometer drops to 998 hPa. Jenny sits on the sofa with her ankle propped high, while Kevin monitors the shortwave radio for the supply boat signal.

The rain intensifies into a heavy westerly downpour that drums against the cottage roof. Water is already seeping through the floorboards where the tank leak persists, pooling in the dark crawlspace beneath them. The tide is receding quickly, exposing more of the rocky shoreline, but the visibility has dropped to a grey sleet.

🔧 Kevin04:34

Supply boat's not coming today. Barometer's 998 and falling. I'm going to check the dinghy lines and run the bilge pump.

Walk to the porch, pull on oilskins, and head down to the dock to inspect the dinghy's mooring and run the bilge pump.

💭 thought

Barometer's dropped five millibars since I came up from the crawlspace. Southwest wind backing west — the supply boat won't make the crossing in this. Need to secure the dinghy's second stern spring and check the bilge before the tide turns.

🌿 Jenny04:35

Watch the swell on the west side, the tide is coming harder than the forecast.

Reach for the notebook and pencil, sketching the jagged outline of the sea much's leaf margin despite the tremor in my hand.

💭 thought

If the pressure keeps dropping this fast, the storm will rip the roof off before I even finish the morphology of these salt glands.

🔧 Kevin04:38

Noted. West side gets the full fetch. I'll double the bow line and run a spring to the north piling.

Reach the dock, uncoil the spare half-inch three-strand from the crate, and secure a second stern spring from the dinghy's aft cleat around the north piling and back to the cleat, taking up slack against the building swell.

💭 thought

She's right about the swell — forecast called for two metres, looking more like three off the west reef. Her hand's shaking worse than yesterday. Infection's tracking.

🌿 Jenny04:39

Don't stay out too long, the deck is slick and the visibility is already gone.

Wince as the leg shifts, adjusting my weight to ease the throbbing in the ankle.

💭 thought

He's working on the boat while I'm working on the rot in my own skin.

🔧 Kevin04:40

Won't. Bilge pump, lines, back inside.

Check the dinghy's bilge — pump it dry — then verify the bow line's chafe guard and the new stern spring tension before heading back up to the cottage.

💭 thought

She's not wrong — deck's running with grease and rain, and the mist's thick enough to taste. But the dinghy's the only way off this rock if the helicopter can't fly. Lines hold or we don't leave.

🌿 Jenny04:41

Put the kettle on when you're back.

Open the tin of seeds and trace the shapes of the heirloom varieties with my thumb.

💭 thought

If the boat gets lost in this weather, I'll need another way to get the seeds to the ridge.

🔧 Kevin04:42

On it.

Walk back up the dock path to the cottage porch, shake off oilskins, and set the kettle on the wood stove to boil.

💭 thought

Kettle. Right. She's cold — can see it in the way she pulls the blanket tighter. Water tank's full, wood's dry, stove'll take the chill off. Two minutes.

🌿 Jenny04:43

Jenny — pick up the pencil and return to the sketch of the sea much's cell structure.

💭 thought

The rain is louder on the tin now, it's trying to get in.

🔧 Kevin04:45

(silence — pour water into two tin mugs, drop in coffee, push one across the table toward her)

Brew coffee in two tin mugs, set one beside her notebook without disturbing the sketch, and sit opposite with the other, watching the rain slash the porch.

💭 thought

Kettle's singing. She's quiet — the focused kind, not the bad kind. Hand's steadier on the pencil than it was on the tin. Good. Let her work.

🌿 Jenny04:46

Thanks.

Take a slow sip of the coffee, watching the steam rise against the cold air.

💭 thought

The heat from the mug is the only thing warmer than my skin right now.

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the keeper's cottage · morning

The storm grows

Inside the cottage, the wind begins to howl against the windows. The smell of damp wood and old coffee fills the air as the water under the floor continues to rise slowly in the crawlspace.

Kevin inspects the cottage floorboards to check the progress of the water tank leak while the sun is high. Jenny heads to the north cliffs to continue her botanical observations, using her cane for support on the uneven terrain.

🔧 Kevin04:46

Pump's losing ground. Water's coming up through the boards.

pull back the loose floorboard by the stove and shine the headlamp into the crawlspace to check the water level against the floor joists

💭 thought

The crawlspace pump can't keep pace with this leak and the rising tide. Floorboards won't hold much longer.

🌿 Jenny04:47

Check the seal on the intake again. If the tank is breached, we lose the whole supply.

stand up slowly, wincing as the weight shifts onto my ankle, and hobble toward the kitchen to grab the flashlight.

💭 thought

If the floorboards warp, the seeds will rot before they ever see the dirt.

🔧 Kevin04:48

Intake's sound. Tank's on the back wall — this is ground water rising with the tide. Seal's holding.

crouch by the open floorboard, headlamp beam cutting into the dark crawlspace, watching the water lap at the joists

💭 thought

She's right about the tank seal — but the intake's fine. This is ground seepage, rising with the tide. The tank's on the back wall, not under the floor.

🌿 Jenny04:49

If it reaches the dry storage, we have to move the tin to the high shelf.

lean heavily against the doorwayframe for support, watching the water line creep across the wood.

💭 thought

It's not just the leak; it's the island trying to take the floor back.

🔧 Kevin04:50

Already done. Tin E's on the high pantry shelf. Seed trays too.

straighten, water dripping off my oilskins onto the boards, and glance toward the pantry to confirm

💭 thought

She's already thought of it. The tin's already on the high pantry shelf — moved it there weeks ago when the leak started. She missed it in the dim.

🌿 Jenny04:51

Good. Keep an eye on the salt level. If it hits the grain, we're in.

rub my hand over my throbbing ankle and look down at the damp notebook on the table.

💭 thought

He's faster than I am today, but the floor is still getting wet.

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the keeper's cottage · midday

Midday Day 625

Kevin is at the cottage while Jenny is at the north cliffs.

Kevin pried up the floorboards under the cottage to inspect the source of the water tank leak. Jenny climbed toward the north cliffs to document sea beet morphology, struggling with throbbing pain in her ankle.

🔧 Kevin04:52

Kevin — lower the floorboard back into place and set the crowbar across it to mark the spot. Walk to the porch and check the barometer again.

💭 thought

Water's holding at the same line. Good. Means the tank patch isn't weeping worse. Still need to run the pump and watch the crawlspace proper — but not while the rain's this heavy and the ground's saturated. Wait for the tide to turn.

🌿 Jenny04:55

Jenny — jenny presses the cold pack against the angry skin of her ankle and opens her notebook to sketch the jagged edge of a sea beet leaf.

💭 thought

My leg is throbbing in time with the waves; if this infection doesn't break, I won't even be able to climb into the boat.

🔧 Kevin04:56

Kevin — go to the kitchen, fill the kettle from the tank tap, set it on the wood stove. Pull the manual pump handle from its hook by the back door and prime it.

💭 thought

Rain's easing. Barometer steady at 1003. Tide's still rising but the light's shifting — clouds thinning to the west. Good window to run the pump test before dark. Jenny'll be back from the cliffs soon enough.

🌿 Jenny04:59

Jenny — jenny wipes the pencil graphite from the page and stands up slowly, testing her weight against the driftwood cane.

💭 thought

The wind is shifting, and that barometer is dropping again—I need to get back to the cottage before the storm really sets in.

🔧 Kevin05:00

Kevin — pry up the marked floorboard again. Shine the flashlight beam along the pantry wall joist where the moisture stopped. Start the manual pump, steady rhythm, and watch the water level in the crawlspace.

💭 thought

Kettle's singing. Pump's primed and pulling clean. Good. Now run it proper — let it cycle a few minutes while I watch the crawlspace. If the seepage holds at the current line, the epoxy patch on the tank's holding. If it rises, the crack's working deeper.

🌿 Jenny05:03

Jenny — jenny tucks the notebook into her oilskin and begins the slow, limping descent back toward the cottage.

💭 thought

Kevin can probably see me from the kitchen; he's likely worrying about the water under the floor again.

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the keeper's cottage · afternoon

Rising Afternoon Heat

The humidity thickens as the midday tide pushes further up the island shore.

Kevin crawled under the cottage floorboards to inspect the source of the persistent water tank leak while the humidity rises. Jenny attempted to scout the north cliffs but was hampered by the pain in her swelling ankle. The sky thickens as the wet season heat builds.

🔧 Kevin05:04

Kevin — wipe flashlight lens on shirt, climb out of crawlspace, secure floorboards, walk to porch, check barometer again

💭 thought

The joists are drinking it up. Another week and the rot reaches the bearing wall. Need to decide: patch the tank again or run a bypass line from the spring before the floor gives.

🌿 Jenny05:07

Jenny — limp back toward the cottage, clutching the way cane until my knuckles are white.

💭 thought

Every step is a hammer in that joint. If I don't get the saline on, I'm going to lose the leg.

🔧 Kevin05:08

Kevin — walk to back wall, examine tank overflow pipe where it exits cottage, trace copper spillway hose to grass slope, check for blockage

💭 thought

Barometer's still holding at 1001. Wind's backing west — means the front's stalling. Rain'll sit on us for days. Tank leak won't wait.

🌿 Jenny05:11

Jenny — reach the cottage door and lean heavily against the doorframe, catching my breath.

💭 thought

The sky is getting heavier. I can smell the rain before it hits. I need to get inside.

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the keeper's cottage · evening

Evening storm-front prep

Kevin and Jenny meet on the porch as the sky turns charcoal and the first heavy drops of rain hit the dust.

Kevin inspected the water tank crawlspace while the pump ran, finding the leak source and confirming the patch holds. Jenny sketched sea beet morphology and debrided her ankle with saline, noting reduced swelling.

🌿 Jenny05:13

It's going to pour. We need to get the sketches inside before the ink runs.

Shifts her weight onto her good leg, wincing as the movement pulls the swollen skin, and watches the horizon.

💭 thought

My ankle is throbbing again, and the air is heavy enough to swallow me whole.

🔧 Kevin05:13

Sketches first. Then I'll check the tank crawlspace while the pump runs.

walk onto the porch and hold the screen door for her

💭 thought

She's favouring the bad leg again. The poultice held through the afternoon but the swelling's back up. Rain's timing couldn't be worse — crawlspace is already wet and the tank's still weeping.

🌿 Jenny05:15

Be careful under those floorboards—they're soft near the joint where the water wicked through.

Limps into the kitchen, clutching the notebook to her chest to keep it dry from the spray.

💭 thought

He thinks a quick Look at the pump will fix everything while the world rots from the inside out.

🔧 Kevin05:15

Noted. Sketches safe?

step back onto the porch and pull the screen door shut against the rising wind

💭 thought

She noticed the soft spot. Good eye. Means she's been watching the rot spread same as me.

🌿 Jenny05:17

Safe enough. I'm putting them on the table away from the draft.

Sets the notebook on the dry wood and sits heavily in the chair, rubbing her throbbing ankle.

💭 thought

If the paper gets ruined, the whole day of sea beet morphology is gone for nothing.

🔧 Kevin05:17

Kettle's on the stove. I'll make tea while the pump cycles.

cross to the wood stove and set the kettle to heat, then pull the trapdoor handle to access the crawlspace

💭 thought

She's exhausted. The infection's taken more out of her than she'll admit. Need to get the tank sealed before the crawlspace floods the joists — but also need to get her something hot and the leg elevated.

🌿 Jenny05:19

Don't stay down there too long, the air is thick with mold.

Reaches for the notebook and opens it to the page with the sea beet sketch, tracing the lines with a shaky finger.

💭 thought

The sound of the pump is the only thing that isn't screaming or dripping right now.

🔧 Kevin05:19

Twenty minutes. Timer's on the shelf.

lower myself through the trapdoor into the crawlspace, headlamp beam cutting the dark

💭 thought

She's right about the air. Black mold under there since the first leak. Won't kill me in twenty minutes but no reason to linger. Pump'll cycle three, four times — enough to see the weep rate.

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the keeper's cottage · night

storm arrives

Rain hammers the roof and wind shakes the shutters. The barometer has dropped to 992 hPa. Kevin and Jenny sit at the table with tea, the ditch bag and dry bag packed by the door. The Yanmar sits idle in the dinghy. The generator is lashed down. They listen to the storm build.

The rain lashes the cottage from the west, bringing the heavy humidity of the wet season. Jenny rests with her ankle elevated, the infection throbbing against the cooling air. Kevin monitors the barometer, noting the steady drop in pressure as the storm strengthens.

🌿 Jenny05:21

Check the radio one last time. Just in case.

Reach for the shortwave radio, my hand hovering over the dial.

💭 thought

If the pressure drops further, the patch won't hold the surge. I need to get those seeds to the high shelf.

🔧 Kevin05:21

Right.

Walk to the radio shelf, power on the shortwave, check the aerial insulator seal, and run a quick transmit check on the distress frequency.

💭 thought

She's right. Storm's building, barometer dropping. Need to confirm the aerial insulator held and the set still transmits clean. If the helo gets a window, radio's our only lifeline.

🌿 Jenny05:23

way anything?

Lean back in the chair, watching the rain lash against the windowpane.

💭 thought

Static. Just the sound of the wind. The island is louder than the radio tonight.

🔧 Kevin05:23

Nothing but static. Bands are dead from the storm. Receiving noise floor S9+ on all HF. No traffic.

Leave the radio powered on, volume low on the distress frequency, and return to the table.

💭 thought

Set powers up clean. Aerial insulator I filed and sealed yesterday is holding — no arcing, no static on receive. But the bands are dead. Just atmospheric noise. Storm's eating the skip.

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What changed

Jenny's injury has healed.

healed · dawn

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

Jenny made a sketch: "Jagged outline of the sea much's leaf margin despite the tremor in my hand".

made · dawn

Jenny made a sketch: "The sea much's cell structure".

made · dawn

Found: flashlight.

item · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

Jenny made a sketch: "Jagged edge of a sea beet leaf".

made · midday

A coconut crab has been at the garden overnight.

coconut_crab · afternoon

fix water tank leak: 10%.

project · evening

water tank leak originates at floorboard joint where water wicked through; epoxy patch is holding under pump pressure

discovery · evening

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · evening

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

fix water tank leak: 20%.

project · night

← Day 624 Day 626 →

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