Day 772

Shade cloth's secondary. Cottage and generator first. You take the door and exhaust tape — I'll finish the tarp corners.

Move to the west corner of the garden tarp where the last grommet's flapping, pull the timber batten tight, and drive a stake through the reinforced loop.

Wire it. I'll meet you on the lee side.

Drop the stake, sprint across the garden to the lee side where the shade cloth's billowing hardest, and grab the flapping corner to hold it down until she gets the wire through.

Got it. Next corner.

Keep the shade cloth pinned flat against the wind with both hands, feet braced in the mud, waiting for her to finish the loop so we can move to the next flapping corner.

Done. Cottage now.

Release the cloth, turn toward the cottage, and start jogging across the garden path — mud sucking at boots — heading for the porch where the generator exhaust tape and door battens wait.

Generator shed's open. Exhaust tape on the bench.

Reach the porch, grab the heavy timber batten leaning against the doorframe, and bolt the cottage door shut — top bolt, bottom bolt, center latch — testing each one with a shoulder shove.

You take the door battens and the porch shutters. I'll get the generator exhaust and the roof tarp's west corner. Meet back here in ten.

sprint to the generator shed, grab the exhaust tape and ladder, climb onto the roof to secure the loose west corner of the tarp and tape the exhaust flange before the wind shifts

Exhaust first. Then the tarp. Ladder's got rubber feet — I'm not stupid.

wrap the generator exhaust flange with self-amalgamating tape, overlapping each turn, working fast while the wind flattens the tarp against the roof sheets

Kevin — climb down the ladder, move to the west roof corner, peel back the flapping tarp edge, drive timber battens through the grommets into the rafters with the heavy hammer, weighting the line with cribbing stones from the garden pile

Kevin — walk to the dinghy and inspect the stern line chafe guard at the mooring ring, then check the bow line slack for swell movement

Kevin — pull the canvas engine cover over the Yanmar and secure the ties, then walk back toward the cottage

Water's boiling if you want another mug.

Set the kettle back on the stove and pull out the tin of corned beef. Slice what's left cold onto two chipped plates.

Eat it cold or I'll warm the skillet. Your call.

Pull out the chair opposite her and sit. Pick up my fork but don't start. Watch her.

Kevin — eat my own portion. Clean the plate. Pour the last of the coffee from the pot into both mugs without asking.

Tin's not going anywhere.

Rinse my mug in the basin. Dry my hands on the towel. Walk to the shelf and take the tin down. Set it on the table between us. Pry the lid with the church key blade.

We'll see.

The lid gives with a wet suck of air. Tip the tin toward the light. Dump the contents onto the scrubbed tabletop.

Clean. Every packet.

Pick up the first packet. Read the label. Set it down. Pick up the next. Tomato. Pepper. Sea beet. Basil. Lettuce. Something in Cyrillic. Something with no label at all. Count them into two piles — labeled and mystery.

Kettle's on if you want a mug.

walk to the wood stove and set the kettle on the hot plate, then pull out two tin mugs from the shelf

Kevin — pour hot water into both mugs, set one in front of her without disturbing the page, and sit opposite with my own mug, watching the steam rise

Rain's not the problem. Wind shift is. Comes round to 280, the ridge beam leaks.

lift my mug, blow across the steam, and take a slow sip

Lead flashing's set on the northeast corner. Silicone's staged on the porch if the tar pulls.

set my mug down, stand, and stretch my shoulders — stiff from the trench work — then walk to the porch doorway to watch the sky with her

You did re-secure them. Oak stakes at the shade cloth corners, timber strips on the garden tarp, doubled lines on the dinghy. It's holding.

lean against the doorframe beside her, close enough that my shoulder brushes hers, and watch the tree line bend

Got them.

Walk to the garden shed, grab the three heavy oak stakes and the mallet, head for the north ridge garden beds.

Driving them deep. Then deadmen behind.

Reach the north ridge beds, drive the first oak stake through the tarp grommet at the lee corner, angle it into the wind so the guy line pulls against the grain. Move to the second corner, same. Third.

Spruce rounds. Garden path.

Sprint back to the garden path where the three spruce rounds are stacked, grab the heaviest one, haul it to the first stake, bury it in a trench behind the guy line. Second round, second stake. Third. Tamp mud over each with the boot heel.