the dock · day 283 · afternoon

The Rising Tide

The rain continues to intensify as the tide reaches the edge of the dock planks. The supply boat is still a day away, and the sea is growing restless.

The sky thickens as the pressure holds steady, signaling a shift in weather. Kevin works on the softwood carving while struggling with a stubborn split grain, and Jenny organizes the heirloom seeds for tomorrow's boat arrival.

🌿 Jenny15:00

The water's hitting the planks. We need to make sure the mooring is holding or the surge will just rip the whole thing out.

Walk to the edge of the jetty and inspect the tension on the mooring ring.

💭 peek at the thought

The tide is too high. If those rotten planks shift now, we're losing the jetty before the boat even arrives. I'm starving and shaking, but the water is the priority.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin15:00

It’s working loose again. Those wedges are toast. I’ll bolt it through with the longer stainless—go get the drill and the doubler plate from the shed.

walk to the shed, retrieve the 150mm stainless through-bolts, washers, nyloc nuts, and the steel doubler plate, then return to the dock mooring ring.

💭 peek at the thought

The dock’s groaning under the strain—each wave lifts the jetty like it’s trying to shake itself loose. Jenny’s right: if the mooring ring shifts again, we lose the whole finger pier. I saw the cedar wedges split earlier; they’re useless now. Need steel or nothing.

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

🌿 Jenny15:02

Put the plate here. I'll steady the wood while you bolt.

Hold the steel doubler plate against the timber to align the holes for the bolts.

💭 peek at the thought

If the ring doesn't hold, the dinghy drifts and we're stranded. My hands are too weak to hold the drill, but I have to be useful.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:02

Hold it flush. Don’t let it shift when the bit bites.

drill pilot holes through the doubler plate and dock timber, drive the four 150mm stainless through-bolts with washers, thread nyloc nuts, and torque each to 35 Nm with the wrench.

💭 peek at the thought

Good. She’s steady-handed when it counts. The timber’s sound under the rot—those sistered planks from last week are holding. Four bolts, washers, nylocs. Torque to 35 Nm same as the Yanmar housing. Rain’s no excuse for loose hardware.

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

🌿 Jenny15:04

It's tight. The ring won't bud now.

Pull on the mooring ring to test the stability, then wipe the salt spray from my eyes.

💭 peek at the thought

It's solid now. The metal is holding the wood where the rot failed. My arms are so tired from holding the weight, but the dock might stay put.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:04

It’s fast. Let’s get the tarp re-staked on the garden before it tears loose. Then we eat.

walk to the garden, check the tarp corners, re-stake any lifted edges with the spare rope and tent pegs, then return to the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

Solid. No play. The steel’s biting deep—this’ll hold through the blow. Jenny’s wiping her face; she’s been out here longer than she should. Time to get under cover before the next squall hits.

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

🌿 Jenny15:06

I'll check the drainage too. The wind is picking up.

Walk to the garden beds and check the tension on the heavy-duty tarp.

💭 peek at the thought

The garden is a mess. If that tarp goes, the sea beets I just planted are gone. I'm so hungry my stomach is cramping.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:06

I’ll handle the trench. Don’t want the beds swimming.

walk to the south edge of the garden, clear the drainage trench of seaweed, twigs, and sediment using the hand trowel, then return to the cottage.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s thinking ahead—standing water’ll rot the beds and invite mold. Smart. I’ll back her up: clear the drainage trench by the south wall, make sure it’s not clogged with debris from the wind.

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

🌿 Jenny15:08

I'm going inside to check the radio. The sky is turning.

Walk back to the cottage and grab the notebook from the table.

💭 peek at the thought

The barometer is dropping fast. If the boat doesn't come tomorrow, I'm out of mackerel. I need to finish those sketches.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:09

I’ll be in soon. Keep the door shut tight.

finish clearing the drainage trench, then walk back to the cottage and light the wood stove.

💭 peek at the thought

Sky’s bruising purple-black now. Wind’s shifted—gusting from the northwest, cold bite to it. Radio’s dead silent since the insulator cracked, but she’ll try anyway. I’ll finish the trench, then get the stove going. Hot food, dry clothes, maybe a weather burst if the set decides to cooperate.

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

🌿 Jenny15:10

The radio is acting up again. Static is coming in.

Sit at the kitchen table and open the notebook to the sea beet morphology sketches.

💭 peek at the thought

The house is quiet now except for the wind in the chimney. I can feel the seeds in my pocket—heavy with a life I'm too scared to start.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:11

Let it run. Might catch a forecast between squalls. Tea in two minutes.

fill the kettle from the tank, set it on the stove, open a tin of corned beef, and slice it into the cast iron skillet to fry.

💭 peek at the thought

Static’s something at least—means the front’s charging the air. Maybe a weather window opens if the insulator holds long enough for a burst. She’s sketching sea beet salt glands by lamplight; the storm can wait five minutes. I’ll get water on for tea and the corned beef tin.

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.