Tip Tuesday--Tomatoes vs. Temperature

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything besides menus, grocery lists and stories of head borne parasites also known as the 'l-situation'.  

Please don't confuse the 'l-situation' with the 'L-situation'.  Because when I received the upper-case L in a text a few weeks ago, my first thought went to my beloved, L.  Then my mind started racing with what she might be talking about.  What WAS the 'L-situation'????  Everything was fine as I knew it.  

And then it hit me she was talking about those little bugs;  ACCK... the 'l-situation'.  Thankfully, THAT situation seems to be ok too, but every time I get even the slightest itch on my head I'm still suspicious and a bit fearful.  

So now we can begin discussing tonight's topic which surrounds another l-word.  The all important potential lycopene of the two tomatoes that are growing out on the vine of my very healthy tomato plant. 

But with it being November, the threat of freezing weather is actually upon us, and I really wanted to try and preserve the living plant a few more weeks, knowing that another round of warm weather will no doubt come around again.  It is Texas after all and there have been plenty of Thanksgivings and Christmases where we were able to wear shorts.  

Monday night I rushed home to use the few moments of daylight that would be left and went out to our metal holding area, aka our scrap pile, hoping to find an old tomato cage that I could put around the plant.  Instead I found a three sided sheet metal something or other and there was even insulated fiberboard in there.  This was going to be better than I imagined.

I picked it up and shook it to be sure there were no little critters or reptiles in it that would run up my arm as I carried it to the garden.  I was happy to find none.  

Then back into the house and a little tape in combination with some dry cleaning bags 

and viola, I had a mini greenhouse on the way.  Here is the south facing view allowing the sun to shine on in, but there is a vent hole on the top so that hopefully things won't get too hot in there.  

I wonder if this means they will end up being flavorless hot house tomatoes?  If they survive, I'll let you know.  

The good news is that I didn't have to spend anything extra to make all this happen.  

What sort of ideas have you used to save a tomato plant?