the dock · day 259 · morning

Testing the Yanmar

Kevin and Jenny meet at the dock as the tide laps against the reinforced pilings. The sky darkens further, and the first heavy drops of rain begin to hit the dust.

Kevin inspects the Yanmar's cutless bearing while the rain continues steadily over the dock. Jenny checks the garden to ensure the seedlings are protected from the wet wind.

🌿 Jenny16:03

The rain's turning. I need to get the tin off the porch before the seeds are ruined.

Wipes the rain from her eyes and turns back toward the cottage, grabbing the rusted seed tin from the outdoor table.

💭 peek at the thought

The barometer is dropping too fast; if I don't get those seeds inside now, they'll be mush by morning.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:04

I'll tie off the dinghy proper. Meet you at the cottage.

check the dinghy's forward spring line and secure it to the dock cleat, then walk up the path toward the cottage

💭 peek at the thought

Watch her go, the tin heavy in her hands. The rain's coming down harder now. I should secure the dinghy first — stern line's solid but the forward spring could use checking. Then the engine test. Then find her.

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

🌿 Jenny16:04

Don't take long, the wind is picking up.

Clutches the rusted tin to her chest and hurries through the rain toward the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always worried about the boat, but I'm worried about the life inside this tin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:06

On it.

check the forward spring line, adjust it if needed, make sure the dinghy is snug against the dock, then head toward the cottage in the rain

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving fast, scared the seeds will spoil. The wind's rising — I can feel it tug at my jacket. First, make sure the dinghy won't break loose, then follow her.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny16:06

I'm getting the seeds inside!

Rushes across the slick dock, boots slipping in the mud, shielding the rusted tin with her jacket.

💭 peek at the thought

If the water gets into that tin, the whole season is over before it even starts.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:08

(nothing — just walks)

walk up the path to the cottage, stepping carefully on the wet boards

💭 peek at the thought

She's already at the cottage with the tin. The dinghy's secure enough — forward spring holds, stern line's good. Time to get inside, run the engine test, then sit with her.

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

🌿 Jenny16:09

We need to check the roof again.

Bursts into the cottage, slams the door against the wind, and sets the damp tin on the kitchen table.

💭 peek at the thought

The air is so heavy I can barely breathe, and these seeds are all I have.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:10

Roof first. Engine can wait for a break.

follow her inside, shake off the rain, and look up at the ceiling for any new stains or drips

💭 peek at the thought

She's rattled — wind, rain, the seeds, the roof. The tin's on the table, she's breathing hard. I said I'd test the Yanmar at the dock, but the weather's turning proper now. Could run it from here with the prop in a bucket, but that's half-arsed. Better to wait for a window. First, check the roof with her. Then the apology.

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

🌿 Jenny16:11

It's already coming in.

Wipes the condensation off the lid of the tin with her sleeve, hands shaking slightly.

💭 peek at the thought

way's so focused on the structure, and I'm looking at the rot in the tin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:12

Where?

move to where she's looking, pull a chair over, stand on it and run my hand along the ceiling boards to find the wet spot

💭 peek at the thought

She's shaking. Not just cold — something deeper. The tin matters more than seeds. She wrote my name in the letter to Tom. Kate. First time in months. Now the roof's leaking and she's holding it together by a thread. Find the leak. Fix it. Then sit.

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

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