Day 945

Thanks.

Take a slow sip of coffee, tracing the edge of the map for pocket seven with a thumb.

For now. But I need to dig the test pits today to see how deep the good stuff goes before Grandmother's seeds.

Set the mug down and wince slightly as I shift weight off my swollen own.

I know. Let me check the poultice first—if the infection is spreading, I'm not walking to the ridge anyway.

Reach for the gauze and carefully peel it back from my ankle, checking the boundary of the redness.

It's stable enough. Give me a minute.

Apply the fresh sea beet-poultice to the

Let's get to pocket seven then. I need to see the depth before the charcoal layer.

Wrap the ankle again in clean gauze and stand up, leaning heavily on the doorframe.

I'm starting on pocket seven. Don't step near the area, the soil is still loose.

stand up slowly, limping toward the north ridge, and grab the forged trowel and the pH test kit.

I'll use the auger. But if the pH is too low, the charcoal won't save the seeds.

take the hand auger from the shed and begin the walk to pocket seven, shifting weight to my good leg.

Three depths. Got it.

start the augering at the marked trench line, rotating the bit with steady pressure while watching for the resistance change that tells me when I hit the unstable layer.

Forty's the fracture. I need to see what's below it.

increase pressure on the auger, forcing past the grab at forty centimeters, willing the bit to punch through into whatever lies beneath.

I'm dropping the auger.

release the bit and let it fall free, then step back from the trench edge while my ankle throbs anew.

The poultice is working. The pH is 6.2—perfect for the heirloom.

Limps own the porch, wincing as she shifts weight to her good leg, and sets the notebook down on the table.

I need to check the soil depth one last time before the charcoal layer goes.

Swipes the notebook back from his hand and heads for the kitchen to grab the shears.

Don't forget the water water for the charcoal.

Grabs the shears from the shelf and starts own the north ridge, keeping her ankle high.

The soil feels different here—moist but not waterlogged, just right.

Kneels by the trench edge, tests soil with fingers, then points to a patch where the pH strips show 6.2.

Kevin, I need you to check something at the north ridge. Bring the GPS.

head to cottage door, gather notebook and field kit, then walk toward north ridge path, favoring the injured ankle

Hurry. The tide is dropping faster than the forecast and the clouds are bruising.

limp slightly toward the path, stopping to adjust the gauze on my ankle before wincing.

Good. Use the shovel, I need to see the depth of the charcoal layer before we think about digging.

start the ascent toward the ridge, keeping my weight on the outer edge to keep the throbbing from spiking.

Watch for the change in the soil color. That's where the depth should bottom out.

stop at the first flat near the outcrop and point to a patch of darker earth.

Kevin, I need you to see the soil survey I did. It's not just about pocket seven anymore.

walk to the cottage table and unroll the island map with detailed soil pH zones marked in red wax

Here - this is where I found the viable soil. Volcanic ash, three meters square, north face above the spring. pH 6.2, constant drainage from the spring, wind protection. I tested it myself.

point to the blue wax notations on the map and slide the soil pH log across the table

Fourteen meters up the face. I marked the access route with cairns - three stone piles along the ledges. The spring emergence is right below the soil pocket, constant flow means constant drainage. I brought my testing kit and confirmed pH 6.2 with the strips.

trace the access route with my finger on the map and flip to the soil sample photos in my field notebook

Built them with local stone - wind-washed granite that won't shift. I need you to see the actual soil pocket tomorrow at first light. The access is steep but the planting site is perfect. We'll need rope anchors for the seed descent.

mark the cairn locations with small blue flags and prepare my field kit with soil samples and seeds

I'll bring the seed tray and my portable pH meter. We'll test the spot one more time before we commit. I marked three potential planting zones in that pocket - want to start with the northernmost section where the drainage is clearest.

check my field kit for the seeds and prepare the heirloom seed tin while sliding the notebook back across the table

Good. I calibrated it this morning - still reads accurate within half a point. We'll have plenty of time to test the soil before sunrise. I marked the three zones in that pocket where the volcanic ash is deepest and most protected from salt spray.

open the heirloom seed tin and arrange the potato and sea beet seeds on the clean paper towel while checking the water test strips in my kit

Check the straps on the pack again. We can't lose halfway up.

Tighten the buckles on the rucksack and check the seed tin into the side pocket.

Grab the shovel and the pH kit. We're going to pocket seven first.

Stand up slowly, leaning on the driftwood cane, and retrieve the forged trowel from the workbench.

Stay here. I'll mark the spot and send you coordinates. If the soil's still shallow, we'll plant the seeds in the cairn cairn site instead.

Take the spade and pH kit, turn toward the door, then pause. "Kevin, wait." Walk back to the seed tin on the table. Open it carefully. "These are grandmother's.