the keeper's cottage · day 919 · afternoon

Afternoon Rain Watch

The rain continues to lash the west side of the cottage. Kevin and Jenny remain in the small kitchen area as the smell of damp wood fills the air.

Kevin cleaned the generator fuel filter bowl, finding it clear with a good seal, then re-dressed Jenny's ankle wound. The infection line has advanced two centimeters past the previous mark despite treatment. Jenny sketched the rot pattern on the third dock plank while managing significant pain.

🌿 Jenny03:41

It's getting too heavy out there today.

way reaches for her notebook and begins to sketch the specific pattern of the rot on the third plank.

💭 peek at the thought

My ankle is throbbing in time with the rain; if the humidity doesn't drop, I'll never get that rot cleaned properly.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:41

Generator's got clean fuel now. Impeller held at idle. Want to run it at load before the boat arrives?

walk to the workshop shelf and check the generator fuel filter bowl for silt buildup

💭 peek at the thought

The rain's not letting up. She's drawing the rot pattern again — third plank, seaward end. Smart. Documentation before the next storm takes it. I should check the generator fuel while the barometer's steady, and the impeller change held at idle. Need to verify it under load before the supply boat comes.

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

🌿 Jenny03:43

Maybe. Just check the filters are clear first.

way stops sketching and looks at her swollen ankle, wincing slightly.

💭 peek at the thought

If we run it now, the vibration might shake the bolts loose, but we need to know if it holds.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:43

Filter bowl was clean at the last check. But I'll look again.

walk to the generator shed and unscrew the filter housing bowl to inspect for silt

💭 peek at the thought

She's favouring the ankle again. The poultice needs changing — it's been six hours at least with this humidity. Sea beet loses draw fast in damp air. I'll check the generator filter first, then re-dress her ankle before the light fails.

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

🌿 Jenny03:45

Be careful with the seal. Don't lose it in the grass.

way leans back in the chair and watches the rain run down the windowpane.

💭 peek at the thought

If it's clear, we'll have to face the vibration. I'm too tired for the noise.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:45

Kevin — wipe the filter bowl clean with a rag, check the rubber seal for cracking, and reassemble the housing

💭 peek at the thought

She's right about the seal — lost one in the grass last month, took three hours to find. The bowl's coming off clean. A little silt at the bottom, not enough to choke it. I'll wipe it, reseat the seal, and get back to her ankle. The metronidazole's down to four doses. Need to decide if we stretch them or go to the cache.

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

🌿 Jenny03:47

If it's clear, we can try the load test.

way reaches for the tin of seeds and traces the rust in the metal with her thumb.

💭 peek at the thought

If it's clean, we'll have to deal with the shaking. I just want to stop hurting.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:47

Filter's clear. Seal's good. Come on — let me re-dress that ankle before the light goes.

walk back to the cottage, pick up the fresh sea beet and mint poultice from the kitchen counter, and kneel beside her chair

💭 peek at the thought

Bowl's clean, seal's sound. Generator's ready for a load test. But her ankle comes first — the poultice is due, and she's been quiet about the pain too long. I'll run the generator after. The supply boat's five days out. We need the Yanmar verified under load before then.

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

🌿 Jenny03:49

Okay. Be quick, please.

way lifts her leg slowly, holding her breath as he touches the swollen skin.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so helpful, and it makes me feel even more like I'm failing this.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:49

Kevin — carefully unwrap the gauze, discard the used poultice and bloody dressing into the newspaper bag for burning, irrigate the wound with saline, gently debride any soft necrotic tissue with the sterilized scalpel, apply fresh sea beet-mint-hon

💭 peek at the thought

She's holding her breath. The swelling's up past the marked line — infection's tracking. Need to debride what I can, fresh poultice, clean gauze. Two rolls left in the kit. Metronidazole's four doses. Doxy's gone. If the line crosses the ankle bone by morning, we use the VHF and call it. For now: work fast, work clean.

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

🌿 Jenny03:51

(A sharp intake of breath)

way grips the edge of the chair, her knuckles white, staring at the floorboards.

💭 peek at the thought

It hurts so much, but I can't scream. If I scream, he will stop.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:51

Done. Fresh poultice. Line's moved. Two centimetres past the mark.

hand her a metronidazole tablet and the tin mug with warm water

💭 peek at the thought

She's taking it without a sound. Just that breath. The wound's weeping more than yesterday — yellow-green at the edges, hot to touch. Debrided what I could. Fresh poultice on, gauze wrapped firm. Marked the new line in pen. It's crept past the old mark. Two centimetres. Maybe three. Four doses of metronidazole left. She needs two a day. That's two days. Supply boat's five out. If the wind holds southwest, maybe four. I'll give her the first dose now.

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.