the keeper's cottage · day 133 · morning

Waiting for the Boat

The wind continues to howl from the south-east, rattling the cardboard shim in the window frame. The tide remains high, hiding the reef under meters of churning turquoise water.

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

🔧 Kevin18:24

Radio check in ten. You want coffee before or after?

walk to the kitchen and fill the kettle from the rain tank tap, set it on the wood stove

💭 peek at the thought

Window shim's holding but that rattle means the frame's flexing. Tide's still up — can't see the reef edge. If the supply boat's crossing tomorrow they'll need the channel markers visible. Radio check first, then decide on the dinghy load-out.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny18:25

After. I need to check the tank for leaks first.

Jenny pick up her notebook and pencil, walk to the back porch to inspect the 400-litre tank.

💭 peek at the thought

I'm starving enough to eat my own sketches, but the coffee is the only thing feeling real right now.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin18:26

Right. I'll raise the supply boat on schedule.

walk to the radio shelf, power on the shortwave, let the tubes warm, and set the frequency to the supply boat's scheduled channel

💭 peek at the thought

She's thorough. Good. Tank's been solid but a hairline crack at the seam would empty us in a week. I'll get the radio warmed up while she checks.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny18:27

Make sure you get the ETA. The wind is acting up.

Jenny run her hand along the seam of the water tank, feeling for dampness on the stone.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat doesn't show tomorrow, I'm going to run out of flour before the month.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin18:28

KX7-SORREL calling SUPPLY LAUREL. Over.

hold the mic, thumb on the transmit button, wait for the carrier to settle

💭 peek at the thought

Wind's been southeast steady all morning. If it's "acting up" she's feeling a shift I'm not catching inside. Tank seam felt dry last week but thermal cycling does things. Radio's warming — tubes glowing. Call sign first, then position request.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny18:29

Kevin. You need to replace the aerial insulator. The crack's spreading. Kevin. You need to replace the aerial insulator. The crack's spreading.

Jenny walk to the porch and pull the torn electrical tape from the radio mast bundle. </think>THOUGHT: I can hear the static in his voice - he's been doing this wrong for weeks. Jenny walk to the porch and pull the torn electrical tape from

💭 peek at the thought

I can hear the static in his voice - he's been doing this wrong for weeks.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🔧 Kevin18:30

Spare porcelain's in the grey locker. Brought it up last month. Never fitted it.

set the mic down, walk to the grey locker on the porch, pull out the spare porcelain insulator and the self-amalgamating tape

💭 peek at the thought

She's right. The insulator crack's been spreading since the storm. Tape was never more than a band-aid on hot ceramic. I should've replaced it when the spare arrived on the last supply run. Radio's still transmitting but reception's degrading — that's why the supply boat sounded faint last contact.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny18:31

Give it here. I'll do the wiring once the tank is checked.

Jenny takes the insulator from Kevin and inspects the crack in the old one.

💭 peek at the thought

He's had the parts for a month and just waited for me to notice the failure.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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