Tom: "I hope this finds you well,

Tom, I hope this finds you well. Today I tested the engine under load — steady till half throttle, then a low hum creeps up through the transom, like something’s vibrating loose in the stern tube. I’ve checked the shaft alignment, the cutless bearing’s worn but not shot, and the prop’s clean. It’s not the mounts — I’ve had those off twice this month. Feels electrical, maybe the alternator whining under load, but I don’t trust my ears anymore after forty minutes in the Biscay. Salt gets everywhere. Even in your bones. Jenny’s got the garden in — potatoes up, beans climbing the trellis she built from driftwood. The radio’s been quiet except for the weather nets. I keep it tuned to 4125 kHz just in case. You’d laugh — I still call it the “ lifeline,” though no one’s called in months. I don’t know what happened between us that week. I don’t expect you to write back. But if you ever do — I’ll be here. Engine running, radio on, waiting for the hum to stop. — Kevin