Day 867

Sill Repair and Rising Damp

Dawn found Jenny on the steps, ankle propped, watching clouds thicken over the ridge. Kevin stood by the railing, checking the barometer as pressure dropped. "Pressure's dropping quick, love. We'll need to secure the exhaust before the tide turns," he said. Jenny replied, "The soil is already way, Kevin. Just make sure the roof doesn't come down with it."

Kevin crawled under the cottage and found the main sill plate rotted through along a 1.2-meter span, with three joist ends crumbling at their seats. He installed two greenheart sister plates with 150mm stainless through-bolts, but the third bolt hole stripped in the soft timber. "Third plate needs an anchor. Epoxy hold won't cut it in this damp," he said. They mixed the remaining epoxy with sand and coarse salt for the anchor compound. "Salt takes 18 hours to set, sand gives bulk. Heat from the wood stove on it tonight," Kevin said. Jenny traced the rot's extent to ensure the fill would be deep. "Good thinking with the gravel mix. The mechanical lock will hold even if the surface cure is slow," she said. The barometer read 976 hPa steady. Rain began as wind picked up from the sea. Kevin worked on the foundation waiting for the epoxy to cure; Jenny managed her ankle infection, the dampness preventing dry healing. By the stove, Jenny's face was pale, ankle swollen and throbbing. Kevin tapped the rain tank, listening for the hollow echo. Tank gained 25 litres. Generator fuel: two drums sound, one weeping at the seam. "Fix the seam with the epoxy tomorrow before we lose another liter," Jenny said. Kevin gave her two doxycycline and two metronidazole. "The antibiotics aren't working fast enough. We need to get the heat into it properly, not just poultices," he said. "I'll keep the stove fed through the night. Get some sleep while the air's still."

Scenes

the keeper's cottage · dawn

The Rising Humidity

Jenny sits on the steps with her ankle propped up, watching the clouds thicken over the ridge. Kevin stands by the railing, checking the barometer as the pressure continues to drop in the heavy air.

Kevin crawled under the cottage and found the main sill plate rotted through along a 1.2-meter span, with three joist ends crumbling where they seat. He installed two greenheart sister plates with 150mm stainless through-bolts to carry the load, but the third bolt hole stripped in the soft timber and will need an epoxy anchor.

🔧 Kevin01:40

Pressure's dropping quick, love. We'll need to secure the exhaust before the tide turns.

Walk to the generator shed and check the exhaust stack, then head to the cottage roof to install temporary bracing.

💭 thought

Barometer's at 976 and still falling fast, the kind of drop that means we're not just getting rain—we're getting a proper storm. Foundation work can wait until after this passes, but the generator exhaust needs securing before the flood tide hits.

🌿 Jenny01:41

The soil is already way, Kevin. Just make sure the roof doesn't come down with it.

Jenny winces as she shifts her weight off the swollen ankle, then opens her notebook to sketch the new cracks in the porch floor.

💭 thought

The ridge is going to go if the rain doesn't stop, and he's worried about a metal pipe.

🔧 Kevin01:44

I'll get the roof braced first, then the exhaust. You stay put - that ankle needs elevation.

Check the foundation cracks with the soil auger, then retrieve the marine plywood and stainless bolts from the workshop to brace the roof ridge.

💭 thought

She's right - the soil's already compromised, but her wrist is steady on that pencil despite the pain. The roof won't hold much longer, and I can't afford to lose both the cottage and the generator to a collapse.

🌿 Jenny01:45

I'm not going anywhere. Just watch the sills.

Jenny reaches for the sea beet poultice on the step, then fingers traces the rusted edge of her grandmother's seed tin.

💭 thought

He thinks a brace will stop the rot while the whole island is swallowing the cottage.

🔧 Kevin01:46

Sills first. Roof and exhaust can wait an hour.

Grab the cordless drill, 150mm stainless through-bolts, and greenheart sister plates from under the eaves, then crawl under the cottage to assess and brace the deteriorated sill plates.

💭 thought

She's watching the sills because she knows I'll prioritize the roof and exhaust over the foundation. The tin on the stove is drying - she's checking the seal. I'll brace the roof fast, then the exhaust, then get under the house before the tide turns.

🌿 Jenny01:47

Be careful. The joists are softer than they look up here.

Jenny lets out a sharp breath as she adjusts her leg, then begins to sketch the specific pattern of decay on the stone foundation.

💭 thought

If he's under there, he'll finally see the way the earth is actually moving.

🔧 Kevin01:51

I'm going under to check the joists. The roof can wait until after the tide turns.

Crawl under the cottage with the inspection camera and measuring tape to assess the joist decay, then mark the extent of the deterioration on the notebook before heading back to secure the generator exhaust above the roofline.

💭 thought

Joists softer than they look - she's telling me what I can see but won't say out loud. The stone foundation's rotting from inside out, and I'm crawling under it instead of checking the roof first. Pressure's at 972 hPa now - we've got maybe two hours before the flood tide starts.

🌿 Jenny01:53

Watch out for the main beam; the rot is deep this year.

Jenny watches his shadow move beneath the porch, then presses her pencil to the paper to map the widening cracks in the wood.

💭 thought

If he's down there, he'll see how much the stone has actually shifted.

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the keeper's cottage · morning

Generator exhaust and roof bracing

Kevin stands at the generator shed with marine plywood and stainless bolts, preparing to brace the exhaust stack above the roofline. Jenny sits on the porch with her sketchbook, the ankle elevated on a cushion, the barometer at 976 hPa steady. Cloud cover thickens overhead.

Kevin and Jenny prepared an anchor compound for the cottage foundation sill using the remaining epoxy, sand, and salt. Kevin struggled to mix the materials correctly due to the high humidity and haste, while Jenny carefully traced the extent of the rot to ensure the fill would be deep.

🌿 Jenny01:55

Kevin! Come look at this.

walk to the generator shed door and open it

💭 thought

The barometer's holding at 976 - just above the danger threshold. I can hear Kevin moving around the generator shed, that familiar clink of metal on metal. My ankle's throbbing through the poultice, but the real pain is watching him work while I sit here, measuring rot instead of building. The seeds are still on the stove, still warm, still waiting for ground that might not hold them much longer.

🔧 Kevin01:56

"Show me." (step into the shed)

walk to generator shed door and open it for Jenny to see the exhaust stack setup

💭 thought

Barometer's holding at 976—good, but the generator exhaust still needs securing. That third anchor hole stripped bad; epoxy's nearly gone.

🌿 Jenny01:57

The humidity is too high for the epoxy to cure properly if we don't anchor it now. We'll be sitting dark before the boat comes.

point to the stripped hole in the sill plate

💭 thought

He's focused on the bolts, but if that seal doesn't hold, the next rain will drown the cylinders. My ankle is pulsing again, hard to ignore.

🔧 Kevin01:58

Epoxy tub's near empty. Last bolt. If we pack it with sand and what's left, might hold. Or we sister another plate over the whole span—greenheart's under the eaves.

pick up the last 150mm stainless through-bolt and the nearly empty epoxy tub, examine the stripped hole in the sill plate

💭 thought

She's right. Humidity's brutal—epoxy won't set clean without heat or time we don't have. That third bolt hole's stripped to nothing. Last 150mm stainless bolt in my hand, no more spares.

🌿 Jenny01:59

way won't hold the tension, Kevin. We need the anchor, or the sill is gone.

trace the edge of the rot in the wood with a way finger

💭 thought

He's talking about sand while the house is literally dissolving under us. If I don't fix the foundation, the whole north ridge will shift.

🔧 Kevin02:01

Then we anchor it. Mix what's left with sand and coarse salt—salt takes 18 hours to set, sand gives bulk. Heat from the wood stove on it tonight.

grab the salt from the kitchen, mix it with the remaining epoxy and sand in the metal bucket, prepare the anchor compound for the stripped hole

💭 thought

She's right. That rot line's spreading—four centimeters from the joist seat. If the sill fails, the whole cottage shifts. No time for another sister plate.

Open this scene on its own page →

the keeper's cottage · midday

Midday Inspection

The warm rain slows to a steady drizzle as you both meet in the kitchen. The epoxy compound sits in the sill, waiting for the cure.

The humidity is oppressive as the sky thickens, signaling a coming storm. Kevin works on the cottage foundation, struggling to set the epoxy anchor in the humid air, while Jenny manages her ankle infection, though the dampness makes the healing process sluggish.

🔧 Kevin02:03

Third plate needs an anchor. Epoxy hold won't cut it in this damp.

Mix fresh epoxy with coarse gravel for the stripped hole, then set a threaded sleeve into the compound while it's still workable.

💭 thought

The epoxy's still tacky from the humidity - another twelve hours before it can take load. She's watching me work with that look again, the one that says she's counting the days until I leave.

🌿 Jenny02:05

Good thinking with the gravel mix. The mechanical lock will hold even if the surface cure is slow. Let me check the north ridge seepage while that sets - I need to know if we're looking at structural concerns beyond just the foundation.

walk to the north ridge intercept trench and inspect the weep holes and tension crack for increased seepage or soil displacement.

💭 thought

The epoxy won't cure properly in this humidity, but Kevin's solution with the gravel anchor buys us time. The third plate needs that sleeve to transfer load effectively, and I can see the gravel will create a mechanical lock that the pure epoxy couldn't achieve in these conditions. The tide is still rising, and I need to check if that seepage at the north ridge fracture has worsened.

🔧 Kevin02:07

Tension crack's still under two centimeters. But if it hits three, we're looking at shoring before the next swell.

Check generator fuel filter for clogs while waiting for epoxy set time.

💭 thought

She's moving again, always moving when she thinks I'm distracted. Good - keeps her away from the radio. The north ridge has been weeping more than usual with each storm.

🌿 Jenny02:08

If it hits three, we'll have to pull the heavy gear. I'll keep an eye on the drainage levels in the trench—if the water is moving, the soil is failing.

make a sketch of the north ridge tension crack to compare against tomorrow's measurements.

💭 thought

Two centimeters is stable, but the island is saturated like a sponge. If that ridge shifts, the whole garden goes with it. I need to check the pH of those beds again; if the soil is turning too acidic, the seeds are lost regardless of the structural hold.

🔧 Kevin02:11

Generator's running clean, but that filter's been humming for days.

pull generator fuel filter and inspect for clogs while epoxy sets.

💭 thought

She's measuring what I can't see - the water movement tells her more than my eyes can catch in the dim light. The generator's been running steady, but that fuel filter's been whispering warnings.

🌿 Jenny02:13

Filter's probably just debris from the fuel transfer yesterday. Check the torque on that third plate in an hour—epoxy needs twelve hours for initial set, but I want to verify the anchor is pulling tight.

inspect the cottage foundation sill where the greenheart sister plate meets the stripped hole and check alignment of the threaded sleeve against the structural beam.

💭 thought

The generator needs attention, but the epoxy anchor needs proper torque verification. I should check the third plate alignment while the compound is still workable. The seeds can wait, but the foundation cannot.

🔧 Kevin02:14

Hour three. I'll check the torque.

Clean generator fuel filter and reinstall, then check torque on the third sister plate anchor.

💭 thought

She's right about the filter - just transfer grit. But she's watching the epoxy like a hawk watches a nest. Twelve hours. She'll check it at hour three, hour six, hour nine. I know her rhythms better than the tide tables.

🌿 Jenny02:15

Jenny — check the swelling on the ankle for signs of increased heat or spreading infection.

💭 thought

It's holding for now, but the humidity is the enemy. If that anchor shifts even aings, the whole sill is compromised. I need to stop worrying about the generator and start looking at the rot under my feet. unrelatedSAY: wayen it down. If it moves, we'll have to strip the whole plate before the next storm.

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the keeper's cottage · afternoon

The arrival of the storm

The first drops of rain hit the roof just as the wind picks up from the sea.

The warm rain continues throughout the afternoon, keeping the air heavy and the wood saturated. Kevin works on the cottage foundation, waiting for the epoxy to cure in the humidity, while Jenny attempts to manage her ankle infection though the dampness prevents any dry healing.

🔧 Kevin02:17

Rain's here. Going to secure the shutters and check the generator exhaust extension. You want the radio on the porch or inside?

Walk to the porch and start securing the east shutter with the 10mm through-bolt, then move to the west shutter.

💭 thought

The epoxy won't cure properly in this humidity, not with the temperature dropping. Need to get the cottage buttoned up before the real weather hits — shutters, generator exhaust, dinghy lines. The third sister plate anchor can wait for a dry window.

🌿 Jenny02:18

Inside would be better - I need to show you something about the sill plate before you secure everything.

Limp to the kitchen doorway, remove the bandages to reveal the infected ankle, and point toward the foundation sketch in the notebook.

💭 thought

The wind's changing direction - that's the southeast I've been tracking in my notes. The barometer's rising toward 980 now, which means the pressure system's shifting. I need to get those mooring lines checked before spray hides the chafe points. But first, I have to make sure Kevin sees what I've discovered about the foundation.

🔧 Kevin02:19

Jenny... the wound - we need to clean it properly. But first, what did you find in that sketch?

Set down the through-bolt, walk slowly to the kitchen doorway, and kneel beside her to look at the notebook while keeping the shower pump valve ready in my other hand.

💭 thought

The infection's spreading - she's showing me the wound because she knows the time's running out on that foundation. Her ankle's swelling again in this humidity, and she's pushing through the pain to show me what I missed.

🌿 Jenny02:21

Look at the spread. The sister plate is holding for now, but if I don't set the anchor today, the humidity is going to finish the wood off.

Point to the dark lines on the sketch and wince as the air hits the inflamed skin.

💭 thought

The rot is deeper than I thought yesterday; it's eating through the heart of the spruce. If I don't anchor that plate now, the whole sill will lean by the next big storm. I'm too tired to hold the scalpel, but the island won't wait.

🔧 Kevin02:21

The anchor's our only shot. Epoxy won't like this air but we'll pack it tight with sand and salt like we did the others. You get back on the porch, leg up. I'll mix it and set it, then come re-do your dressing.

Return to the crawlspace access with the remaining epoxy tub, sand bucket, and salt tin; mix the anchor compound on a scrap of plywood and pack it deep into the stripped bolt hole, driving the last 150mm stainless through-bolt home with was

💭 thought

She's right — the humidity's eating the wood faster than I thought. The epoxy anchor for the third bolt won't cure in this damp, but if I don't try now the whole sill gives way before the next dry spell. Her ankle's worse than she's letting on; the infection's tracking up the calf. Need to finish the anchor and get her leg elevated and re-dressed before the storm hits proper.

🌿 Jenny02:23

The anchor compound looks good, but I need to check the actual sill beneath it. There's something I should show you about the north ridge soil pH - it's different from what we thought.

Shift to the window and point toward the garden where I've been tracking the soil conditions.

💭 thought

The epoxy feels wrong in this humidity - it's not setting the way it should. I can watch Kevin work without moving, but I need to see the foundation sill for myself before I decide what to plant where.

🔧 Kevin02:23

The ridge isn't going anywhere. Your leg is. Porch. Now. I've got fresh poultice and the last clean gauze.

Wipe hands on a rag, grab the medical kit and sea beet-mint-honey poultice from the stove shelf, and walk to the porch doorway to clear space for her to sit with her leg elevated.

💭 thought

She's deflecting — her ankle's burning up and she's talking soil pH. The ridge data can wait. The anchor's set, the bolt's driven. Now the real work: infection control and battening down before this storm breaks.

🌿 Jenny02:25

I'm coming. way... be careful with the scalpel. It's sensitive today.

Sit on the porch chair, lift the inflamed ankle own a crate, and wince as the weight shifts.

💭 thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the rain on the roof. Kevin's so bossy when he's worried, but he's right—the rot is winning today.

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the keeper's cottage · evening

Evening Huddle

The rain tapers to a drizzle as evening falls. Kevin and Jenny meet by the stove to check the supplies before the supply boat approaches.

The humidity is a physical weight, making the air inside the cottage feel thick and stagnant. Jenny sits at the kitchen table, her face pale as she rubs her swollen, throbbing ankle, though she winces with every movement. Kevin stands by the rain tank, tapping the plastic with his knuckles to listen for the hollow echo, his eyes tracking the water line against the wall.

🌿 Jenny02:27

The boat is seven days. We need to check the water levels again.

Lean heavily against the kitchen counter, rubbing the side of my swollen ankle while hiding the grimace.

💭 thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the tide, and if this humidity doesn't drop, I'm going to lose the foot.

🔧 Kevin02:28

Tank's at three-ninety-seven. Full. Generator fuel's clean, filter held. Two drums left sound, one still weeping at the seam.

walk to the back wall and tap the rain tank, listening to the tone

💭 thought

She's still hiding the pain. The ankle's not right — swelling should be down by now with the antibiotics. But she won't say it, and I won't push unless she does. Water check first.

🌿 Jenny02:29

Fix the seam with the epoxy tomorrow before we lose another liter.

Sketch a quick, jagged line of the rot in the sill on the margin of my notebook.

💭 thought

Three-ninety-seven is enough for now, but that weeping drum is a waste of fuel.

🔧 Kevin02:31

Mark it on the repair list. Epoxy cure's too slow in this damp, I'll need to strip the old sealant first.

pick up the epoxy tub and check the remaining quantity against the jerry can sealant needed for tomorrow

💭 thought

Another seam leaking, another thing to do before the supplier boat. Her sketch shows the full extent — I can see where the wood's eaten through clean to the framing. Epoxy tomorrow, but tonight it's still tacky from this humidity.

🌿 Jenny02:33

Make sure you use the wire brush. The rot is deep in the wood.

Wince as I shift my weight, the pain a sharp hot needle through my ankle.

💭 thought

If he doesn't strip it properly, the whole patch will just peel off in the next swell.

🔧 Kevin02:34

Wire brush, wire wheel on the drill, then epoxy deep. You need the other dose tonight.

set the epoxy tub down and pull the wire brush from the tool roll, then reach for the medical kit on the shelf

💭 thought

She's right about the wire brush — surface epoxy won't hold if the rot's eating the grain. But I see her shift, see the way her breath catches. The antibiotics should've knocked the infection back by now. If the swelling's not down by morning, I'm cracking open the metronidazole reserve.

🌿 Jenny02:35

Just give them to me. I can't sleep through it.

Reach for the tin of seeds, my fingers trembling slightly as I touch the metal.

💭 thought

The infection is moving, I can feel the heat line creeping up my shin. I'm so tired.

🔧 Kevin02:36

Here. Two doxy, two metro. Wash them down.

pull the blister packs from the medical kit, pop four tablets into my palm, and hold them out to her with the tin mug of water

💭 thought

She's shaking. Not from cold. The infection's tracking or the pain's worse than she's saying. Either way, she needs the meds and I need to see that ankle proper — not by lantern light, not through gauze. The seeds can wait.

🌿 Jenny02:37

Thank you. The humidity is killing me.

Swallow the pills with a long gulp of lukewarm water, then lean back against the stone wall.

💭 thought

If the swelling doesn't break, I won't be able to walk to the ridge tomorrow.

🔧 Kevin02:38

Sit here. I'll bring the lantern closer.

move the storm lantern from the porch table to the kitchen shelf beside her, then pull the wooden stool over and sit down across from her ankles up

💭 thought

She's fading fast. The humidity's thick enough to drink, and her body's fighting something the antibiotics haven't touched yet. I'll give the meds an hour, then check the ankle again — proper light, proper look. If the red line's moved, I'm opening the last of the trimethoprim. For now, let her rest.

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the keeper's cottage · night

Night in the heavy heat

The air remains still and oppressive as the sun sets, leaving them to prepare for a day of repairs.

Kevin spends the morning reinforcing the structural integrity of the dock, ensuring the rotted sections are braced against the rising tide. Jenny focuses on the garden, carefully tending the seedlings and preparing the soil to protect them from the increasing salt spray.

🌿 Jenny02:39

The humidity is too high for the epoxy to take properly tonight.

rub the swollen ankle and wince, then open the notebook to sketch the rot pattern in theization.

💭 thought

If I don't set that anchor tomorrow, the whole sill will shift into the mud.

🔧 Kevin02:43

We'll have to wait until morning anyway. Too much moisture in the air to get a proper bond.

mix epoxy anchor compound for third sill plate sister joint, third sister plate epoxy anchor now set.

💭 thought

The humidity's holding at ninety-two percent and won't drop below eighty even with the wood stove running. Third sister plate needs that anchor cured properly or winter's going to eat through what I just saved.

🌿 Jenny02:44

I know. I'll debride the ankle tomorrow if the weather holds out.

lean back in the chair with a sigh, watching the tin of seeds on the table.

💭 thought

He's right, the wood is like a sponge right now nothing will stick.

🔧 Kevin02:44

The antibiotics aren't working fast enough. We need to get the heat into it properly, not just poultices.

check the wood stove firebox, add dry spruce kindling to build sustained heat for morning epoxy work

💭 thought

She's still treating the ankle like a maintenance task. It's infected, deep, and the humidity's making every hour count against her. She won't let me touch it properly.

🌿 Jenny02:45

way make sure the room stays warm, I'm tired of the damp.

wrap the ankle tighter with the fresh gauze and wince as the movement shifts the skin.

💭 thought

Heat won't cure an infection, but it might stop the throbbing enough.

🔧 Kevin02:46

I'll keep the stove fed through the night. Get some sleep while the air's still.

tend the wood stove through the night, maintaining steady heat for epoxy cure and room warmth

💭 thought

She's wrapping it tighter to hide the swelling from me. The red line tracked past the ankle bone yesterday. She knows what that means. I know what that means. Neither of us says it.

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What changed

3 intentions for today.

plan · dawn

×2

Jenny made a sketch: "New cracks in the porch floor".

made · dawn

Jenny made a sketch: "Specific pattern of decay on the stone foundation".

made · dawn

A new project: cottage foundation sill repair.

project_started · dawn

main sill plate rotted through 1.2m span with three joist ends crumbling at seats

discovery · dawn

north ridge garden bed pH: 6.2 in limed rows, 5.6 in untreated

discovery · dawn

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · dawn

cottage foundation sill repair: 20%.

project · morning

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · morning

Jenny made a sketch: "The north ridge tension crack to compare against tomorrow's measurements".

made · midday

cottage foundation sill repair: 30%.

project · midday

The rain tank gained about 25 litres.

weather · midday

Jenny made a sketch: "Nd wince".

made · afternoon

cottage foundation sill repair: 40%.

project · afternoon

Jenny made a sketch: "Quick, jagged line of the rot in the sill on the margin of my notebook".

made · evening

cottage foundation sill repair: 50%.

project · evening

The rot in the cottage sill is deep enough that standard epoxy may fail.

discovery · evening

Kevin and Jenny ate.

meal · evening

Jenny made a sketch: "Rot pattern in theization".

made · night

A turtle has hauled out on the beach to nest, in the dark.

turtle · night

Found: bracing lumber.

item · night

← Day 866 Day 868 →

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