A little paddle steamer rests on the kitchen floor with its gangplank lowered toward the boards. Pale blue light shines from the cabin windows, and a thin curl of smoke rises from the red funnel. The boat's chipped hull, small brass rails and curved paddle housing look carefully made, yet it seems to have arrived under its own power.

Behind it, a woman crouches beside a wooden butter churn with a ladle still raised in one hand. Her other hand rests on the churn as she studies the tiny vessel. A homespun dress, linen apron and knitted shawl gather naturally around her bent posture. Her expression holds the pause between surprise and understanding.

The open hearth warms the rough stone wall and the pumpkins beside the fire. An oil lamp glows on the scrubbed table, while copper pans and braided onions hang in the shadows above. At floor level, the steamer's cool window light makes a small blue patch against the broad amber reflections. The lowering gangplank gives the quiet kitchen a new destination.