the dock · day 795 · evening

High Tide and Hard Work

The tide continues to rise, lapping the lower edges of the dock as Kevin prepares to bolt the greenheart plate into place while Jenny monitors the progress of the rot.

The dock repair is partially complete, with the greenheart sister plate bolted to the south piling using three stainless bolts. Jenny's ankle is raw and inflamed; the old bandage was stuck to the skin, requiring careful saline debridement before applying a fresh sea beet-mint-honey poultice. The tide is falling, exposing more of the rotting wood beneath the dock.

🔧 Kevin16:13

Hold the plate steady on the marks. I'll start the bolts.

Position the greenheart sister plate against the south piling at the marked alignment, insert the first 150mm stainless through-bolt with washer, and begin threading the nyloc nut by hand.

💭 peek at the thought

Tide's coming up faster than I'd like. Need to get this sister plate bolted before the water gets to the bolt holes. The greenheart's pre-drilled — just need to hold it true and drive the through-bolts home.

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

🌿 Jenny16:15

"Watch the alignment. If it's off, the bolts won't catch." continuedDO: way leans her weight against the timber to stabilize the plate, wincing as the movement sends a sharp spike through her ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

The wood is soft, like wet cardboard; if we don't sister this now, the whole jetty will shear in the next surge.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:15

Got it. Plate's flush. Starting the first bolt.

Drive the first 150mm stainless through-bolt through the aligned plate and piling hole, seat the washer, and thread the nyloc nut. Tighten with the 19mm wrench to 35Nm using the torque wrench.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — if the plate shifts even a millimetre, the bolt holes won't line up with the pre-drilled piling. Her ankle's bad but she's holding it steady. Good.

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

🌿 Jenny16:17

Jenny — jenny pulls out her notebook, sketching the specific pattern of the decay to track how much wood actually needs to be replaced.

💭 peek at the thought

The torque is holding for now, but the wood around the bolt is weeping under the pressure. storiesSAY: "Don't over-torque it or you'll just strip the remaining fibers."

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:17

Second bolt going in. Hold it.

Insert the second 150mm stainless through-bolt through the aligned plate and piling hole, seat the washer, and thread the nyloc nut. Tighten to 35Nm with the torque wrench.

💭 peek at the thought

She's documenting the rot pattern while I work. Smart — gives us a record for the trust report and tells us exactly how much timber to order or salvage. The tide's licking at the lower bolt hole now. Need to move.

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

🌿 Jenny16:19

Keep it level. The tide is shifting.

Jenny presses her palm against the greenheart to keep it from slipping, breathing through her teeth as her ankle throbs in the heat.

💭 peek at the thought

Two bolts won't be enough for this much rot; the decay goes deeper than the surface shows.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:19

Last bolt. Then we're off this dock.

Insert the third 150mm stainless through-bolt through the aligned plate and piling hole, seat the washer, and thread the nyloc nut. Tighten to 35Nm with the torque wrench.

💭 peek at the thought

Water's rising up the piling fast now. Third bolt hole will be underwater in minutes. She's white-knuckling that plate with a busted ankle. Get the last one home and we're done.

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

🌿 Jenny16:21

Check the fit. It needs to be solid.

Jenny lets go of the plate and leans back against the cottage, watching the water lap around the new hardware.

💭 peek at the thought

Three bolts, but the wood is still weeping. It's holding by a thread.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:21

Solid. Three bolts, torqued. Come on — let's get you inside.

Offer a steadying arm and walk Jenny back toward the cottage, moving slowly to match her pace.

💭 peek at the thought

Three bolts home, torqued to spec. Plate's not moving. She's done her part holding it — now she needs to get off that ankle.

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

🌿 Jenny16:23

I need to sit. The ankle is throbbing.

Jenny accepts the arm stiffly and limps toward the kitchen, her eyes fixed on the uneven floorboards.

💭 peek at the thought

My leg feels like lead, and the air is still thick enough to swallow.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:23

Sit. I'll get the poultice and the meds.

Guide Jenny to the kitchen chair, pull it out for her, then go to the medical supplies for the sea beet-mint-honey poultice, clean gauze, and the metronidazole blister pack.

💭 peek at the thought

She's masking it but that ankle's bad. Heat, infection, and now standing on it in the salt spray. Needs elevation, fresh poultice, and the rest of the metronidazole.

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

🌿 Jenny16:25

Just... be careful with the bandage. It sticks.

Jenny sinks into the chair, stretching her swollen ankle out and watching the pulse in the tight skin.

💭 peek at the thought

He's trying to be helpful, but the silence between us is heavier than the heat.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin16:25

Got it. Saline first. Won't rip it.

Retrieve the saline bottle, soak a clean cloth, and gently dab the bandage edges to loosen the adhesion before carefully unwrapping the old gauze and poultice residue.

💭 peek at the thought

Bandage stuck to the wound bed. Means it's weeping. Need saline to loosen it slow, then debride what's dead, fresh poultice, and wrap it clean. She's watching me work — doesn't trust anyone else to touch it.

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

🌿 Jenny16:29

Watch out. It's raw.

Jenny winces, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as the bandage finally pulls away from the inflamed skin.

💭 peek at the thought

The salt in the air is making it sting. Every movement is a hot needle.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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