the keeper's cottage · day 608 · midday

The Rising Tide

The rain continues to intensify, and the sound of the surf increases against the cottage walls.

The rain continues at a steady pace, blurring the view of the island's interior. The tide has risen faster than anticipated, sending small waves to lap over the lower planks of the dock. The water tank is now at maximum capacity.

🌿 Jenny07:21

The tide is getting high. We need to check the intake on the tank again.

Set the sketchbook down and wince, shifting my weight to my good leg.

💭 peek at the thought

The tank is going to overflow if it doesn't stop, and my ankle feels like it's being squeezed by pliers.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:22

I'll go. You stay off it.

walk to the spring intake at the back of the cottage, crouch, pull the screen, check for weed and salt crust, rinse in the bucket if needed, reset and tighten the clamp

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring the bad ankle hard. The intake's been fine all week — tank's full, overflow's running clean — but she's not wrong to check. Rising tide pushes salt water up the spring line. If the screen's fouled, we lose the sweet water till it drops again.

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

🌿 Jenny07:23

Just watch out for the mud, it's slicker than yesterday.

Lean back against the stone wall and watch him through the rain blur.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always protecting me like I'm glass, but I'm the one with the fever.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:24

Aye.

test the first step onto the clay shelf with one boot, weight it slow, shift full weight only when it holds, crouch at the intake pipe where it enters the stone cistern, pull the brass screen, tap it against the bucket rim, peer up the pipe

💭 peek at the thought

She's watching close. Knows every step of this ground better than I do. The clay shelf below the intake goes to grease when it's wet this long.

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

🌿 Jenny07:25

If there's silt, use the wire brush from the kitchen.

Rub my swollen ankle, trying to ignore the throbbing under the bandage.

💭 peek at the thought

If that pipe is blocked, we're going to be drinking stagnant water before the boat shows up.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin07:26

Got it.

walk back to the cottage porch, step inside, take the wire brush from the nail by the stove, return to the spring intake, scrub the screen clean under the bucket water, reinstall it, tighten the clamp with the 19mm wrench, check flow runs c

💭 peek at the thought

Wire brush hangs by the stove. Screen's stainless — brush won't hurt it. She's thinking ahead while barely putting weight on that foot. Stubborn.

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

🌿 Jenny07:27

Make sure the clamp is tight, I don't want grit getting into the filters.

Pick up my pencil and start a sketch of the sea beet leaves I saw near the ridge.

💭 peek at the thought

At least the water is moving, but the rain isn't going anywhere soon.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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