the keeper's cottage · day 671 · morning

The Approaching Storm

Kevin and Jenny return to the cottage as the first heavy drops of rain hit the dust, while the tide begins its turn.

The air remains heavy and still as the pressure begins a slow rise. Kevin inspects the dock for structural integrity during the low tide, while Jenny checks the cottage shutters against the approaching storm.

🔧 Kevin16:12

Tarps first. Then the radio at 0800.

walk to the cottage porch, grab the rolled canvas tarp and timber battens leaning against the wall, head back to the dock northeast corner

💭 peek at the thought

The rain's hitting harder now, warm and heavy. Mortar won't cure in this. Need to get the tarps over the northeast corner before the tide pushes back up the pier — salt water'll wash the joint out before it sets.

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

🌿 Jenny16:13

I'll check the tank levels while you're up there. The wind is shifting.

Walk to the back of the cottage, check the 400-litre rain tank, and mark the level in the log.

💭 peek at the thought

If that mortar doesn't set now, the whole joint will fail and we'll be swimming to the mainland by winter.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:14

Log it. Barometer too.

unroll the canvas over the fresh mortar joint, drive the timber battens into the dock planks with the mallet to batten it down tight against the rain

💭 peek at the thought

Wind shifting northeast to east. That'll push swell into the dock face once the tide fills. Good she's checking the tank — we'll need every litre if the catchment fouls.

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

🌿 Jenny16:15

It's 976 hPa and falling fast. The storm is coming harder than we thought.

Write the water level and the barometer reading in the notebook, then head inside the kitchen to prep the sea beet leaves.

💭 peek at the thought

He's working so fast he's being sloppy; the humidity is going to eat that mortar.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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