the keeper's cottage · day 529 · afternoon

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin inspected the cottage shutter and found deep rot, then sistered the joist with a greenheart plank using stainless bolts torqued to 35Nm. Jenny confirmed the rot was worse than surface level, then checked the heirloom seed tin for mold before Kevin took it to dry on the porch. Kevin later re-wrapped Jenny's swollen ankle with a cold pack and gauze after she winced at the application.

🔧 Kevin17:10

Kevin — pull interior shutter panel to assess rot.

💭 peek at the thought

The sky’s pressing down, thick and grey, and my stomach’s hollow. I should eat, but first I need to check that shutter panel—water’s been creeping in, and if the rot’s bad, I’ll have to sister the joist before the squall hits. Jenny’s resting; I won’t wake her unless I have to.

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

🌿 Jenny17:11

The rot is deeper than the surface, Kevin.

Sit on the kitchen chair, rubbing my throbbing ankle while watching him work.

💭 peek at the thought

He's looking at the wood while my leg is screaming. It's always something.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:13

Yeah. I see it. I’ll sister it now—should hold tight.

Sister joist with greenheart plank and bolt it in place using 150mm stainless through-bolts, washers, and nyloc nuts torqued to 35Nm.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s right—it’s gone past the surface, into the frame. If I don’t sister that joist now, the shutter’ll keep leaking, and the sill’ll rot through before the supply boat comes. I’ve got the greenheart plank cut and ready from yesterday; I just need to get it in place and bolt it solid.

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

🌿 Jenny17:13

Just make sure it doesn't sag when the storm hits.

Stand and Reach for the seed tin on the stove, checking for any new mold.

💭 peek at the thought

At least he can fix the house. I can't even fix my skin.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:15

Sit down, Jenny. Your ankle needs rest. I’ll handle the tin.

Take the heirloom seed tin from the stove, open it, inspect for mold, then place it in direct sunlight on the porch to dry and inhibit further mold growth.

💭 peek at the thought

She’s watching me work, but her ankle’s still sore—she shouldn’t be standing. I’ll tell her to sit, but not harshly. She’s trying to help, even if it’s just checking the seeds. The tin’s damp again; I saw mold on the edge last time. I need to dry it properly, maybe put it in the sun if it breaks through.

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

🌿 Jenny17:15

Jenny — way back down on the chair, watching him take the tin to the porch.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks he can fix everything by drying a tin, but the infection is still spreading down. nothingSAY: The seeds are sensitive, they're already damp.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:16

It’s damp again. I’ll dry it out and see if we can save what’s inside.

Wipe the heirloom seed tin with a dry cloth, line the inside with a piece of clean paper to absorb moisture, then place it in direct sunlight on the porch. Check the seeds for viability by examining a few for plumpness and color.

💭 peek at the thought

She listened—good. The tin’s got that fuzzy green at the corners again, same as before. Sun and air’ll help, but I should also wipe it with a dry cloth and maybe line it with paper to absorb moisture. If the seeds are still viable, we can save them—but I’ve got to act before the damp spreads.

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

🌿 Jenny17:17

Jenny — lean back against the stone wall, watching the pulse in my leg.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so focused on the wood and the tin, while I'm rotting from the inside out. nothingSAY: The humidity is too high today. It might not work at all.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin17:19

Your ankle’s hot. Let me re-wrap it when I’m done here.

Finish wiping and lining the seed tin, set it in the sun on the porch, then return to the kitchen with the first aid kit, clean gauze, and cold pack to re-wrap Jenny’s ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

Her ankle’s still swollen—she’s hiding how much it hurts. I should re-wrap it, maybe put the cold pack on it again. But she won’t ask. She never asks. I’ll finish with the tin, then make her sit with her foot up while I check the dock mooring ring before the tide turns. The ring’s still shifting under load; the cedar shims and doubler plate helped, but it’s not solid yet. I need to drive more wedges or add epoxy while the water’s low.

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

🌿 Jenny17:19

Jenny — flinch as he applies the cold pack to the swelling.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so careful with the gauze, but he can't see the heat in the skin. nothingSAY: It's getting deep. I can feel it in the bone.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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