the old shrine · day 178 · evening

Evening Tide Prep

The tide has risen significantly, partially covering the lower sections of the rotting dock. The air is cooling slightly as the overcast clouds thicken.

Kevin performed the final engine test on the dinghy, confirming the Yanmar holds under load. Jenny spent the afternoon documenting sea beet morphology and managing the heirloom seed trays. The tide rose steadily as the evening approached at the shrine.

🔧 Kevin12:14

Kevin — push the dinghy out from the dock into the channel, engage forward gear and run the Yanmar through low and medium RPM ranges while checking transom bolts for movement

💭 peek at the thought

The tide's coming up faster than I expected. Water's already lapping at the third plank from the end — the rotten ones. Engine's running sweet though. Yanmar's got a steady rhythm at idle, no smoke, temp holding. Should put her through the gears proper before the light goes, but the dock won't take much more weight with this swell pushing under it.

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

🌿 Jenny12:16

Watch out for the swell, Kevin!

Close the notebook and pocket the pencil, walking toward the cottage to check the kettle.

💭 peek at the thought

He's testing the engine again. The sound is vibrating through the water, making my stomach knot.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin12:17

Engine's clean. Bringing her in now.

throttle back to idle, turn the dinghy in the channel, and bring her alongside the dock against the swell

💭 peek at the thought

Jenny's voice carries over the water — she's worried about the swell, not the engine. The Yanmar's holding steady at medium RPM, transom bolts tight, no flex in the new scarf joint. Good. But she's right about the dock; the swell's pushing hard against the rotted pilings. Need to bring her back in before the tide lifts the whole structure.

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

🌿 Jenny12:18

Take it slow, the water is higher than it was this morning.

Set the kettle off the heat and grab the dock line to help him secure.

💭 peek at the thought

He always sounds so certain about the hardware, but the tide is moving fast today.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin12:18

Got it. Watch your fingers on the cleat.

ease the dinghy in on the swell's backwash, kill the engine at the last second, and let Jenny take the bow line while I step the stern onto the slick planking

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — water's a good foot higher than dawn. The swell's lifting the stern each wave, dock groaning under it. Jenny's got the bow line ready. Need to time this with the swell, not fight it. Yanmar responds clean at idle.

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

🌿 Jenny12:20

I have it, I have it.

Grab the bow line and pull the boat steady against the dock, bracing my weight against the movement.

💭 peek at the thought

The wood is slick as a fish. I'm too hungry to be this careful.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin12:20

Stern line. Now.

grab the stern line from the transom cleat, step carefully across the rotting plank to the dock cleat, and secure it with a round turn and two half-hitches before the next swell hits

💭 peek at the thought

Jenny's got the bow solid. The dinghy's surging against the fenders but she's holding. My boots hit wet rot — third plank from the end dips under me. Need the stern line fast before the next swell lifts us off the dock entirely. Transom cleat's close.

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

🌿 Jenny12:22

I'm moving.

Pull the bow line taut to steady the dinghy against the dock, watching the water lap over the lower stones.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so impatient when the tide is moving. My hand is cramping from this.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin12:22

She's held. Good test.

kill the ignition, pull the kill cord, and climb fully onto the dock to coil the bow line Jenny's holding

💭 peek at the thought

Bow's tight, stern's fast. The dinghy's breathing against the fenders but she'll hold. Dock's singing under the swell — that third plank's days are numbered. Engine's still warm, salt drying on the cowling. Good test. Real good. Jenny's wet to the elbows from the line.

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

🌿 Jenny12:24

The tide is coming in fast today.

Release the line and wipe my salt-covered hands on my jeans, looking toward the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so satisfied with the engine, I'm just thinking about my empty stomach.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin12:24

Hold the bow line steady, keep the engine off.

step to the dock cleat, secure the bow line with a double‑half‑hitch, then sit back in the dinghy and let the swell do its work while the line keeps the hull from drifting.

💭 peek at the thought

Tide's climbing fast, flooding the lower dock. I need the dock held, the boat secured, the Yanmar idling. No time for the sea beet notes right now.

openai/gpt-oss-20b

🌿 Jenny12:26

It's holding.

Let go of the line once the tension is right, then walk toward the cottage door.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always so ready for the next thing, and I just want to eat.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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