Day 823

Broken Tap and Rising Tide

At dawn Kevin stood calf-deep at the north piling, tide well out, mixing the last quick-set epoxy into the stripped mortise. Jenny checked the bronze bolts. "These bronze ones should bite if I tap carefully. Want me to hold the nut while you turn it?" Kevin said, "Bronze first. See what it catches. If it holds — we sister the whole face with the greenheart plates. If not — epoxy and the oversize tap." Jenny tapped the epoxy-filled mortise with the 16mm tap, but the T-handle snapped off at the shank, leaving the tap stuck. The tide pushed in. At the dock Kevin and Jenny stared at the broken shank flush with the cured epoxy. Kevin had a bolt extractor set; Jenny held her notebook. "The tap's seized clean in the epoxy. I need to drill a pilot hole opposite the tap shank to break the corrosion bond, then twist counter-clockwise with the extractor. But the tide's coming in fast." Kevin said, "Drill wanders, we're re-cutting the mortise. You hold the extractor straight, I'll run the drill. One shot." The pilot went through. "Reverse slow. Don't snatch it." The tap came free. They drove the greenheart plates home and threaded the 150mm stainless bolt. "Nyloc nut's finger-tight. Now torque to thirty-five Newton-meters and check the tell-tales." Joint secure. Jenny checked the overflow trench east of the primary. "The crack extended 4.2m past the stability line." At the cottage they reviewed the ridge sketch. Kevin pressed her about the radio contact with Tom. "What did Tom say?" "He said the supply boat would come by Wednesday at high tide - two hour window to take on supplies and crew." Barometer 1037 and falling.

Scenes

the dock · dawn

Low water work on the north piling

Kevin stands in calf-deep water at the north piling, the tide well out, wheelbarrow parked on the planking with greenheart plates and the last 150mm stainless bolt. Jenny is beside him with a spade and the supply crate's bronze bolts, checking the mortise where the threads stripped yesterday. The barometer reads 1037 and falling; a light onshore breeze ruffles the water.

Kevin and Jenny worked together at the north piling during low tide. Kevin mixed the last of the quick-set epoxy and packed the stripped mortise, then staged both greenheart sister plates with pre-drilled holes aligned. Jenny began tapping the epoxy-filled mortise with the 16mm tap, but the T-handle snapped off at the shank halfway through the first full turn, leaving the tap stuck in the fresh epoxy.

🌿 Jenny09:23

These bronze ones should bite if I tap carefully. Want me to hold the nut while you turn it?

Test thread engagement with bronze bolt in damaged mortise while Kevin steadies the nut

💭 thought

The mortise is clean but the threads are damaged - I need that helicoil kit from the crate, but first let me check if these bronze bolts will work as a temporary fix. The tide's coming in soon and I can't afford another stripped bolt.

🔧 Kevin09:23

Bronze first. See what it catches. If it holds — we sister the whole face with the greenheart plates. If not — epoxy and the oversize tap.

steady the 150mm stainless through-bolt head with 19mm socket and torque wrench while Jenny works the bronze bolt into the stripped mortise, watching thread engagement depth

💭 thought

She's offering to hold the nut while I turn — means she wants me on the bolt head side, her on the nut. Smart. Bronze won't gall like stainless in salt-eaten timber, but the threads in that mortise are gone past sixty centimetres. She knows it too. She's testing engagement before we commit the last stainless through-bolt. The barometer's still falling. Tide's low enough to work the full face.

🌿 Jenny09:25

Five good threads if I don't over-tighten. But that's not enough for a sister joint - we need the full plate system.

Apply steady torque to bronze bolt while monitoring thread engagement, then remove and set aside for epoxy patching the stripped hole

💭 thought

The bronze bolt's catching - three threads in, maybe five if I push carefully. The mortise walls are compromised where the stainless stripped, but the bronze's softer metal might work as a temporary hold. I can feel the vibration through the socket when it hits clean threads versus when it's just biting into damaged wood.

🔧 Kevin09:26

Epoxy the mortise. Oversize tap. Then the last stainless through-bolt with both plates.

mix quick-set epoxy from the nearly empty tub, pack the stripped mortise solid, let it kick while staging both greenheart sister plates on the piling face with pre-drilled holes aligned

💭 thought

Five threads in salt-rotted greenheart. She's right — not enough for a structural sister. The bronze bolt comes out clean, threads intact. She's setting it aside for epoxy patching. That means we're committing to the full repair: epoxy the mortise, chase oversize, drive the last stainless through-bolt with the greenheart plates. Tide's still low. We have maybe ninety minutes before it turns.

🌿 Jenny09:27

It's setting. I'll prep the tap once it's cured so we don't split the wood.

Hold the greenheart plates against the ISS, waiting for the epoxy to bond before the final bolts go in.

💭 thought

The epoxy is tacky, holding the wood fibers together. If I don't get this right now, the salt will just pull the threads out in the next swell. The tide is already turning, and my ankle is throbbing with every shift of my weight.

🔧 Kevin09:27

Tap's in the wheelbarrow. Sixteen millimetre — two up from the bolt shank. Go slow. Back it out every half turn.

retrieve the 16mm tap and T-handle from the wheelbarrow, test the tap engagement in a scrap piece of greenheart first to confirm thread cut quality, then hand it to Jenny when the epoxy feels firm to a fingernail press

💭 thought

Epoxy's kicking in the mortise. She's holding both plates steady against the piling face — heavy greenheart, pre-drilled, aligned. The tide's still out but the water's starting to push back in at the edges. Ninety minutes was optimistic. More like forty now. The last 150mm stainless through-bolt is the only one left. If the oversize tap fails or the threads strip again, there's no backup. She knows. I know. She's not rushing the cure.

🌿 Jenny09:29

"Go slow and back out." (I nod, gripping the tap handle with my left hand, right hand steadying the angle as I begin the first half-turn.)

Begin tapping the epoxy-packed mortise with 16mm tap, inserting slowly at correct angle and backing out every half turn to clear chips.

💭 thought

The epoxy's firm enough now - I can feel the tap cutting clean threads in the packed mortise. The 16mm will give us the clearance we need for the oversize through-bolt. My hands are shaking slightly from the pain in my ankle, but I've cut enough threads to know this will hold.

🔧 Kevin09:29

Threads look clean. Plates ready?

hold both greenheart sister plates flush against the piling face, aligning the pre-drilled holes with the freshly tapped mortise, ready to drive the last 150mm stainless through-bolt through both plates and into the new threads

💭 thought

She's cutting the oversize threads clean — left hand on the T-handle, right hand keeping it true. Epoxy holds. Chips curl out clean, not powdery. Good sign. The tap bites into sound wood below the rot line. Water's lapping the dock planks now, tide turning. The greenheart plates are heavy in her other arm, waiting. One bolt left. One chance.

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the dock · morning

tap extraction at rising water

The tide is pushing in, water lapping at the north piling base. The epoxy in the mortise has cured hard. Kevin and Jenny are together at the dock, Kevin with a bolt extractor set from the workshop, Jenny with her notebook, both looking at the broken 16mm tap shank flush with the epoxy surface. The greenheart sister plates are clamped in position, the last 150mm stainless through-bolt waiting beside them.

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

🌿 Jenny09:33

The tap's seized clean in the epoxy. I need to drill a pilot hole opposite the tap shank to break the corrosion bond, then twist counter-clockwise with the extractor. But the tide's coming in fast.

Walk to the dock edge where Kevin stands with his bolt extractor set, grab my notebook and the 150mm stainless through-bolt, then crouch beside the mortise to examine the tap position against the cured epoxy.

💭 thought

The epoxy's cured hard enough to support extraction tools, but I need to preserve the mortise integrity while getting that tap out cleanly. The tide's already lapping the base, so timing matters. I should have brought the left-hand drill bits from the start.

🔧 Kevin09:33

Drill wanders, we're re-cutting the mortise. You hold the extractor straight, I'll run the drill. One shot.

retrieve the cordless drill with the 12mm auger bit from the workshop, crouch opposite Jenny at the mortise, brace the drill against the greenheart plate's pre-drilled hole, and start the pilot hole slow and dead-centre on the tap shank

💭 thought

Tide's rising. She's right about the pilot hole — but if the drill wanders even a millimetre into the greenheart plate, we lose the alignment. And the extractor's only as good as the bite it gets on a 16mm tap shank in cured epoxy. Should've kept a spare tap. Should've chased the threads slower. Water's already licking the bottom plate.

🌿 Jenny09:35

Hold steady on the extractor jaws - I've got the offset collar ready. If this drill wanders even a millimeter, we're re-cutting the mortise and losing the tide.

Grasp the bolt extractor's handle with both hands, position the reverse-threading jaws against the tap shank, and maintain absolute stillness as Kevin's drill bit begins its pilot hole.

💭 thought

The tap's centered perfectly in the mortise, but at this rate we'll lose the tide window. I need to trust his drilling steadiness and focus on keeping the extractor aligned.

🔧 Kevin09:35

Pilot's through. Reverse slow. Don't snatch it.

pull the drill clear, set it aside, grip the extractor's T-handle over Jenny's hands to add controlled torque, and turn counter-clockwise with steady pressure

💭 thought

Drill's biting clean. Good. She's steady — hands don't shake. Tide's pushing harder now, slapping the piling base. Once the pilot breaks through the epoxy into the tap shank, the extractor needs torque, not speed. If the tap's tempered hard, the extractor jaws strip. If it's softer, we back it out clean. Either way, the bolt goes home before high water.

🌿 Jenny09:37

Good extraction - now push the greenheart plates home while the tide's still rising. I'll start threading the 150mm bolt through the mortise and into the sister plates.

Slide the first greenheart sister plate into position against the north piling, align the pre-drilled holes with the mortise, and begin guiding the stainless through-bolt through the assembly as Kevin steadies the plates with his hands.

💭 thought

The tap's coming free - I can feel the threads breaking as Kevin applies steady reverse torque. This joint will hold.

🔧 Kevin09:37

Holding. Feed it.

brace both greenheart sister plates tight against the piling face with shoulders and forearms, keeping the bolt holes perfectly aligned while Jenny drives the 150mm stainless through-bolt through the mortise and both plates

💭 thought

Tap's out. Threads clean. Greenheart's dense — bolt'll bite if the alignment holds. Water's halfway up the mortise now. She's feeding the bolt straight, good. My job's the plates: keep them flush, don't let the tide swing them off true. Washer, nyloc, torque to 35. Then the second plate. Then we're done here.

🌿 Jenny09:39

Nyloc nut's finger-tight. Now torque to thirty-five Newton-meters and check the tell-tales. I've got three water test strips left if the barometer holds through the tide cycle.

Thread the stainless nyloc nut onto the 150mm through-bolt, grab my torque wrench set to 35Nm, and systematically tighten while Kevin watches the piling faces for any movement.

💭 thought

The plates are locked tight against the piling with no play - the bolt's threading true through both pre-drilled holes. This joint will survive the next spring tide.

🔧 Kevin09:39

First plate set. Second.

release the first plate, swing the second greenheart sister plate into position against the piling above the first, align its pre-drilled holes with the through-bolt, and hold it flush while Jenny adds the second nyloc nut and torques it

💭 thought

Nut's running smooth. Torque wrench clicks — 35Nm. First plate's solid. Tell-tales show no movement. Second plate goes faster now the bolt's holding the first. Tide's at the mortise top. We finish this, the north piling's sistered proper. Then I ask her what Tom said.

🌿 Jenny09:41

Joint's secure. I need to check the overflow trench east of the primary - the crack extended 4.2m past the stability line and I dug that secondary channel yesterday.

Remove my torque wrench from the bolt head, walk toward the north ridge where the overflow trench runs east from the primary drainage, and check that the stones are stable and the channel's clear before the tide fully turns.

💭 thought

The north piling sister joint is complete - both plates locked with the full 35Nm torque, no movement under load. The tide's still rising but the structure's solid.

🔧 Kevin09:41

Tools. Then I'm coming up.

gather the torque wrench, 19mm socket, drill, and extractor set from the dock planking, walk them back to the workshop, stow each in its place, then head up the path toward the north ridge

💭 thought

Both plates torqued. Bolt's holding. Piling's sistered. She's moving to the ridge — checking the crack, the trench, the stones. Smart. Water's rising fast now, but the repair's done. I'll pull the tools, secure the workshop, then find her. The radio log's still in my pocket. Tom's frequency. She didn't tell me what he said. Time to ask.

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the keeper's cottage · midday

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin worked on the north piling to extract the broken 16mm tap from the curing epoxy. Meanwhile, Jenny attempted to plant grandmother's seeds in the garden but struggled with the dry soil and her aching ankle. The tide remains high as they both prepare for the supply boat's arrival tomorrow.

🌿 Jenny09:45

Kevin, check the generator fuel filter - it's clogged with silt again.

walk to the generator shed and remove the stuck 16mm tap from the north piling mortise using the pipe wrench and penetrating oil.

💭 thought

The tap's still stuck in the epoxy, and I've got three water test strips left but nothing to test them on. Grandmother's seeds are heavy in my pocket, and the north ridge crack keeps growing anyway.

🔧 Kevin09:45

On it. Don't force the tap — let the oil soak. Heat it if it won't turn.

walk to the generator shed and pull the fuel filter housing off the Yanmar, set a catch pan under it, and start cleaning the bowl and element with rags and solvent

💭 thought

Generator filter clogged again — same fine silt from the drum. She's at the piling with the pipe wrench on a broken tap in curing epoxy. That's delicate work; the tap's brittle, the epoxy's green. If she forces it she'll snap the shank deeper or crack the mortise. But she's already moving.

🌿 Jenny09:47

I'll try the oil first. I don't want it shearing off.

apply a generous amount of penetrating oil to the broken tap and wait, shifting my weight off my braced ankle.

💭 thought

Heat'll just make the epoxy bond harder. I need it slow. My ankle is throbbing from that mattock work.

🔧 Kevin09:47

Kevin — finish cleaning the filter bowl, inspect the element for tears, reinstall with a new gasket from the spare kit, then prime the fuel line and crank the generator to verify flow

💭 thought

She's smart to wait. Penetrating oil needs time to work down the flutes. The tap's 16mm — hardened tool steel, brittle. If she twists too soon it shears flush and we're drilling it out with a carbide bit we don't have. She's keeping weight off the ankle too. Good.

🌿 Jenny09:49

It sounds steady. Give the oil five minutes to bite into the threads.

tap the end of the broken tap with the handle of a screwdriver to create slight vibration.

💭 thought

It's running. Good. But that tap is still sitting there. If I can't get it out, I have to re-drill the whole joint.

🔧 Kevin09:49

Generator's holding steady. I'll check the plate alignment on the piling while the oil works.

walk back to the north piling at the dock, crouch at the mortise, and dry-fit the first greenheart sister plate against the epoxy-packed mortise to verify bolt hole alignment

💭 thought

Generator's running clean. Good. She's vibrating the tap — old trick, helps the oil creep down the flutes by micro-shock. Five minutes is thin but it's all the tide gives us. The epoxy's still curing underneath; heat from the tap might help or hurt. Should check the sister plate fit while she waits.

🌿 Jenny09:51

Good. Hold that plate steady - I need to see if the oil's penetrating.

use the claw of my hammer to gently tap around the base of the broken tap, working it back and forth to break the epoxy bond.

💭 thought

The alignment's perfect. I can see through all four holes. But if I can't extract that tap, I lose that precision.

🔧 Kevin09:51

Plate's flush. Holes aligned. Take your time.

brace the greenheart sister plate firmly against the piling face with both hands, keeping the pre-drilled bolt holes perfectly aligned with the mortise pattern

💭 thought

She's working the tap loose with the hammer claw — gentle, patient. The vibration plus oil should break the epoxy bond without snapping the tap deeper. I'll hold the plate true so she has a fixed reference. The mortise epoxy's still green; too much torque on the tap and we crack the pack. Tide's still giving us time.

🌿 Jenny09:53

It's giving. Don't let the plate slip.

use the pliers to grip the broken shank and apply a slow, counter-clockwise pressure.

💭 thought

It's moving. Just a fraction. If I can get it to turn without snapping the shank, we are saved.

🔧 Kevin09:53

Not moving.

maintain steady pressure on the sister plate with both hands, bracing my knees against the dock planking for leverage, holding the bolt holes perfectly aligned with the mortise pattern

💭 thought

Tap's turning. Good. The oil and vibration broke the epoxy bond. She's using pliers — careful, steady pressure, not jerking it. The shank's thin where it snapped; too much torque and it shears again. My job is keeping the plate dead still so the mortise doesn't shift while she backs the tap out. Tide's still slack.

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the keeper's cottage · afternoon

Preparation for the Boat

Kevin and Jenny meet in the kitchen as the afternoon nears. The heat of midday lingers heavy over the island.

Kevin and Jenny discussed the advancing north ridge crack and the supply boat's expected arrival tomorrow. Kevin pressed Jenny about her radio contact with Tom the previous night. They reviewed the ridge sketch showing the crack extending 4.2 meters past the stability line.

🌿 Jenny09:55

Kevin, the north ridge—

walk to kitchen doorway, wipe sweat with back of hand, check barometer reading of 1038 hPa

💭 thought

The barometer's falling faster than I can document. Three soil pockets, grandmother's seeds still in my pocket, and Kevin's watching me work like he did when I stripped that bolt.

🔧 Kevin09:55

Yeah. Saw the secondary trench holding. Stones stable?

lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her favour the left leg

💭 thought

She's still moving on that ankle. Shouldn't be.

🌿 Jenny09:57

For now. But the crack extended another four meters past the line.

sit at the kitchen table, open the notebook to the latest ridge sketch

💭 thought

The stones are stable for now, but the soil is moving. I can feel the shifting in my feet when I walk up there.

🔧 Kevin09:57

When?

walk to the table, pull out the chair opposite her, sit down heavy

💭 thought

Four metres. That's not creeping. That's running.

🌿 Jenny09:59

Tomorrow. The boat is supposed to be here.

trace the jagged line on the sketch with a pencil pencil

💭 thought

If the boat doesn't come tomorrow, that ridge is going to swallow the beds. I'm too tired to start digging again.

🔧 Kevin09:59

The crack or the boat?

reach for the tin mug on the table, find it cold, set it back down

💭 thought

She's not saying what Tom said. She's not saying what she told him.

🌿 Jenny10:01

Both. The crack's advancing, but if the boat's late again...

open grandmother's seed tin, let the rusted lid clang shut against the table

💭 thought

Both. The crack's growing faster than the boat can dock, and I've got seeds I promised myself I'd plant.

🔧 Kevin10:01

Jenny. What did Tom say?

hold her eyes, not looking at the tin

💭 thought

She's deflecting. The tin, the boat, the crack — anything but the radio call.

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the keeper's cottage · evening

Evening meal and radio watch

Kevin and Jenny sit at the kitchen table with tin mugs of limpet broth. The shortwave radio crackles on the shelf. Through the window, the tide has turned and begins to flood. The barometer reads 1037 hPa and falling. The supply boat is due at high tide tomorrow.

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

🌿 Jenny10:03

The pressure is dropping fast.

Take a sip of broth and trace the rim of the mug.

💭 thought

The heat is thick enough to swallow, and if that boat doesn't show up, I'm out of clean water.

🔧 Kevin10:03

Three millibars since breakfast. Captain's window holds at high tide if the swell stays under three.

finish the broth and set the mug down, then stand and walk to the porch to check the dinghy mooring lines

💭 thought

She's watching the barometer like I am. Three millibars since this morning. The captain said two-hour window at high tide — if the swell builds past three metres, he won't attempt the cut. Need to secure the dinghy's second spring and check the storm anchor warp before dark.

🌿 Jenny10:05

I hope he's right for once.

Rub the throbbing ankle and look out at the shimmering air over the sand.

💭 thought

He's so optimistic about the swell while the island is literally shifting under my feet.

🔧 Kevin10:05

He came through on the radio. That's more than most.

walk to the radio on the shelf and adjust the squelch, listening to the static

💭 thought

She doesn't trust the captain's word. Neither do I, not fully. But the radio contact was real — voice cracked through on 2182, acknowledged our position. Tomorrow's the test. Her ankle's still bad; the red line faded but the swelling hasn't dropped. She walked the ridge today with that cane. Stubborn.

🌿 Jenny10:07

What did he say about the window?

Shift uncomfortably on the stool, the metal frame digging into my hip.

💭 thought

Most what? Most captains care about their cargo or most islands have people who don't abandon them.

🔧 Kevin10:07

Three days at high tide. Two-hour wait window. He'll hold position off the cut until the tide turns if the swell allows.

turn from the radio and lean against the kitchen counter, arms folded

💭 thought

She's asking me what the captain said. I heard it. "Three days at high tide, two-hour wait window." She was there when I logged it. She's testing me, or she's tired, or the ankle's dragging her down. The barometer's still falling.

🌿 Jenny10:09

Did he mention anything about the dock?

Check the ankle where the poultice is starting to loosen.

💭 thought

Three days. I can ration water, but what if the boat gets delayed?

🔧 Kevin10:09

Didn't ask. Didn't offer.

glance at her ankle, then back out the window at the rising tide

💭 thought

She's fishing. The dock's my problem — she knows that. The north piling's cut out, sister plates staged, last 150mm bolt ready. The south piling held. She's asking because Tom might've said something on their call last night. She still hasn't told me what he said.

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the keeper's cottage · night

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin and Jenny shared coffee at the kitchen table while the trade wind held steady outside. Jenny confirmed the supply boat ETA: Wednesday at high tide with a two-hour window. The conversation was quiet, practical, and ended with both turning toward their separate tasks for the night.

🔧 Kevin10:12

Coffee's still warm on the stove if you want it.

walk into the kitchen and set the kettle on the wood stove, then pull out two tin mugs

💭 thought

The cottage feels different at night — quieter, the wind steady off the trade. My hands still smell of epoxy and salt. The broken tap in the north piling is going to haunt me until I drill it out. Jenny's out on the porch. I can hear her breathing. Need to ask about Tom. Need to eat. Need to sleep.

🌿 Jenny10:13

You didn't have to do that, Kevin. I was just thinking about how I should have finished planting those seeds today.

Walk slowly toward the kitchen, leaning slightly on my crutch, then take one of the tin mugs and sniff the steam rising from the coffee.

💭 thought

The coffee's still warm - Kevin must have made it this morning before the long walk back from the dock. I should have asked him to leave it ready for when I returned.

🔧 Kevin10:14

You couldn't put weight on it this afternoon. Don't pretend the seeds mattered more.

pour coffee into both mugs, set one on the table in front of her chair, sit opposite with my own

💭 thought

She's deflecting. The ankle's bad — worse than she'll admit. The crutch is new. She didn't use one yesterday. Tom's letter is in the dry bag. She knows. I know she knows. The coffee's just coffee.

🌿 Jenny10:15

I was going to finish them tomorrow.

Touch the rim of my mug and stare at the coffee's surface, watching the steam curl toward the ceiling where the rafters meet the whitewashed walls.

💭 thought

He knows. Of course he knows. I left those seeds half-planted in the north ridge beds because the soil was too dry and my ankle too swollen.

🔧 Kevin10:16

What did Tom say last night?

hold my mug with both hands, thumbs pressing into the warm tin, wait

💭 thought

She's not looking at me. The steam catches the lantern light — same as it did eleven months ago when we talked about the sensory garden. The garden's still half weeds. She knows about Tom. She heard his voice on the radio. She hasn't said what he said. I haven't asked. The silence between us has a shape now.

🌿 Jenny10:17

He said the supply boat would come by Wednesday at high tide - two hour window to take on supplies and crew.

Set my mug down carefully on the table, then reach slowly toward the notebook where I keep the radio log entries, fingers tracing the edge of the page before pulling back.

💭 thought

That was the third time he's asked since I started radio contact. I should have said something when he pressed harder the second time.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

A tool has broken from wear.

tool_break · dawn

north piling sister repair: 60%.

project · dawn

Found: 16mm tap (broken).

item · dawn

No model answered — the scene closed quietly on its own.

quiet_transition · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

north piling sister repair: 70%.

project · midday

Jenny made a sketch: "With a pencil pencil".

made · afternoon

north piling sister repair: 80%.

project · afternoon

No model answered — the scene closed quietly on its own.

quiet_transition · evening

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

← Day 822 Day 824 →

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