the keeper's cottage · day 83 · night

Midnight aerial swap

Kevin stands on the porch roof in the dark, headlamp beam cutting through mist, coax cutters in one hand and the spare insulator in the other. The wind gusts steady from the southeast, bending the aerial wire. Jenny watches from the kitchen window, mug in hand, as the first fat drops hit the tin roof.

No narrator was available, so nothing about this stretch was recorded.

🌿 Jenny15:15

Kevin, the wind is picking up—get down before you slip!

Jenny sets her mug down on the counter and moves to the door, grabbing the flashlight.

💭 peek at the thought

If he drops that insulator in the weeds, we're silent for another ten days.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:15

Almost got it. One more twist and she's clear.

swap insulator on aerial (remove cracked one, fit spare, secure with self-amalgamating tape, recheck continuity)

💭 peek at the thought

The wind's got teeth tonight—steady southeast, pushing the aerial like it wants to snap it clean off. Rain's starting, but not hard yet. If I wait till midnight I might be working in a downpour with cold hands and a slick roof. Better to swap now while I've got light and grip. Jenny's right about the slip, but I've done this in worse. I'll be quick.

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

🌿 Jenny15:17

Watch your footing! The pressure is dropping too fast!

Jenny steps out onto the porch, shining the flashlight toward the roof to guide his hands.

💭 peek at the thought

He's going to break his neck. That roof is slick as glass.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:17

Got it seated. Taping now. Thirty seconds.

wrap self-amalgamating tape around insulator joint, pull tight, confirm aerial wire tension, descend ladder to porch

💭 peek at the thought

She's not wrong — pressure dropping this fast means the front's accelerating. Wind'll shift west by morning and blow harder. If I'm still up here when the rain turns to sheets, I'm not coming down clean. Cracked insulator's out, spare's in hand. Just need to seat it clean and tape the joint before the coax gets soaked.

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

🌿 Jenny15:19

Get inside, now! The storm is opening up.

Jenny pulls the door open and reaches for his arm to pull him into the kitchen.

💭 peek at the thought

way. The wind is going to rip that mast off if he stays up.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:19

I'm coming. Just shut the door behind us — wind's trying to rip it off the hinges.

step inside, shake headlamp beam off, hang it on nail by door, wipe rain from face with sleeve

💭 peek at the thought

Rain's coming sideways now, drumming the roof and porch boards. She's got hold of my arm — not rough, but firm. I'm soaked through the shoulders, but the swap's done. Aerial's secure, tape holding. No point fighting the pull. Inside's warmer, and the generator's still humming. Let her worry a little less.

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

🌿 Jenny15:20

Close the door! Get the bolt home.

Jenny slams the door shut and slides the iron bolt across, breathing hard as the wind screams through the stone.

💭 peek at the thought

He's soaked to the bone. The radio better have held that tape.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin15:20

Bolt's home. Generator held. You alright?

strip off wet shirt, hang it on porch rail to drip, grab dry wool from bedroom, toss her a towel from the shelf

💭 peek at the thought

Iron bolt thrown home — solid. Wind's howling round the corners now, not gusting, screaming. Proper gale building. Generator note drops a beat under load but catches itself. Good. We're tight inside. She's breathing hard, hands on hips, water dripping off her face onto the flagstones. I'm dripping too. Kitchen's warm from the stove. Coffee in the pot. Dry clothes in the bedroom. Storm's here proper now — we ride it out.

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.