the old shrine · day 868 · evening

The Rising Floor

The tide is still falling, but the water under the floor is not receding. The first heavy drops of rain hit the roof.

Kevin and Jenny worked to manage the rising groundwater near the cottage foundation as the tide began to turn. The heavy humidity made the physical labor grueling, and they focused on diverting roof runoff away from the sill plate. They managed to slow the seepage, but the pressure remains a significant threat.

🌿 Jenny03:27

Kevin, stop pumping for a second. Look at the sandbags on the north side.

Squat down, wincing, checking the water level against the threshold with a finger.

💭 peek at the thought

If it doesn't stop soon, the sill plate is going to go before the boat even arrives.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:28

Groundwater. Tank leak's tracking under the slab.

Stop pumping. Walk to the north side threshold, crouch beside her, and check the sandbag line where water's seeping through.

💭 peek at the thought

Water's not dropping with the tide. That means it's not tidal — it's groundwater pushing up through the foundation, or the tank leak's tracking under the slab. Either way, pumping's just buying minutes.

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

🌿 Jenny03:29

The pressure is too high. We need to divert the runoff from the roof or the epoxy will lift.

Reach out to touch the wood of the sill plate, checking for softness near the water line.

💭 peek at the thought

It's not just the tank; the whole ridge is saturated. The soil is a sponge.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:30

Roof runoff first. Copper spillway extension's only halfway to the slope. Finish it, drop the head pressure.

Stand, grab the remaining copper sheeting and snips from the porch, move to the east corner where the spillway ends. Start cutting and shaping the next section to carry water past the foundation onto grass.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — roof runoff's adding head pressure on top of groundwater. Epoxy anchor on the third sister plate won't cure under water. Need to cut the surface flow first, then deal with what's coming up.

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

🌿 Jenny03:31

I'll hold the tarp down while you secure the edge.

Hobble to the corner, gripping the heavy plastic tarp to guide the flow.

💭 peek at the thought

If we can't channel the water away, the saturation will rot the whole frame.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:32

Hold it tight. I'll drive the stakes.

Pull three cedar stakes from the pile, drive them through the tarp edge into the sod along the spillway line with the mallet, spacing them tight so water can't undermine.

💭 peek at the thought

She's putting weight on a bad ankle to hold tarp in driving rain. Stubborn. But the spillway needs two hands — one to hold, one to fasten. We do this together or it fails.

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

🌿 Jenny03:33

It's holding for now. But look at the water pooling by the stones.

Lean weight onto the tarp, watching the water channel away from the way wall.

💭 peek at the thought

The stakes are in, but the ground is turning to soup. My ankle is screaming.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:35

Grade's still wrong there. Stones are sitting in a bowl.

Walk to the pooled area, grab the bucket, scoop water and dump it down the slope. Then use the flat washer and nail to drive two more stakes, pulling the tarp tight across the stones so water flows clear of them.

💭 peek at the thought

Pooling water by the stones means the grade's wrong — water's still finding the foundation crack. Need to drag that puddle away from the wall entirely.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny03:36

Right. But the rain is moving faster than we can dig.

Wipe the grit from my eyes and watch the water finally break toward the grass.

💭 peek at the thought

If that water sits there, it'll just liquefy the silt.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:36

Spillway's buying us time. Groundwater's the real problem — coming up through the tank crack. Need to drop the tank level, relieve the head.

Walk back to the tank access hatch, pull it open, drop the bucket in and start bailing to lower the water level inside the tank.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — rain's winning. Can't dig fast enough with hand tools in this. But the spillway's taking most of the roof load now. What's left is groundwater rising through the crack. Need to relieve that pressure at the source or the floor keeps lifting.

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

🌿 Jenny03:37

Do it. I'll check the sill plate for any movement while you work.

way on the dry stone, nursing my ankle, and watch the wood for any shift.

💭 peek at the thought

If the tank stays full, the pressure will just forcing more water right through the floor.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:38

Bail hard. Shout if you see any movement.

Bucket after bucket, pulling water from the tank and dumping it down the slope away from the cottage, working steady and fast.

💭 peek at the thought

Tank's 400L full, overflow trickling. Bailing by hand is slow but it's the only lever we've got on the head pressure. Every litre out drops the hydraulic head on that foundation crack. She's watching the sill — smart. If the plates shift, we know the epoxy's failing.

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.