Huge explosions - as we burn the grass clippings!

The last week, La Rochelle has been rocked by the sound of explosions - almost like gunfire all throughout the day. Not the staccato clatter of an AK47, but more the measured hollow thump of a Holland & Holland .410 or shotgun.

And these blasts are so loud that the echoes come reverberating back off the mountains on the opposite side of the valley. This has all been because............we are burning the grass clippings!

Honestly.

You see - the time has come to cut the grass, and it has grown well out of control as you can see. Here is the stand of grass the gardeners have been cutting - behind the orchid houses.....

And just because I have pictured the orchid houses, and just because this blog has never been inside one of the orchid houses - here are some of the plants flowering right now. (Of course, this has nothing to do with the exploding grass - this is just for the girls to say "oooooh!")

Here is a picture of me - standing next to the grass before it is cut. I am the little white blob (figures, huh?) right in the background........

And here is the reason for the blasts that have rocked our valley! As the bamboo burns, each segment heats until the air inside bursts out - creating the loud "whummmpppss" that have so broken the peace of late...........we are burning the grass clippings! (Of course, you knew all along that bamboo is a grass - didn't you?)

And here is our nicely mown lawn!

Ahhhh - the smell of fresh-cut grass can only mean winter is here!

Have a great day!