My response is to cook the vegetables before they decline, make improvements in storage conditions for the rest of the harvest and refine my choices of varieties for the new growing season.
Last week, on the eve of the deepest chill and wind chill of the season, I reached into reserves of dogged determination to secure my harvest of fennel, dill, peppers, French sorrel, amaranth and most of the turnips.
Master Ruby Throat then flies to a neighboring structure with more scarlet blossoms, alights and, in a blink of an eye, is whisked away by another hummingbird.