Making Reeds for Bagpipes or Gaitas

Tuesday-

We begin the day slowly. Donna and Lennie get Bill to the airport. They are full of angst about his ability to make it home on his own (he did.)  I took some time to look for a self-service Laundromat, found a few far away, and decided to wash my clothes in the bath tub. I was full of angst about whether my laundry would dry in time for my plane trip (It did.)

Suzanne showed us about 40 dolls that she had created traditional Galician costumes for a show in Brazil. They are highly detailed and she awaits a time when she can show time in a museum in Santiago.

(By way of background, Cano is a friend of ours that we met at Lark in the Morning Music Camp over several years. He and a couple of his Galician musician friends came and taught there. Donna picked up the gaita as a result of her lessons there.)

Cano picked us up and took us to the top of the mountain where we took a hike.  (I have spent some time looking for the name of this mountain, but I have not had any luck. It is the largest in the area with a large radio tower at the top.) There is a spectacular view of the area from here, as well as what Cano calls a mistake- a billion Euro boondoggle of a cultural center on another mountain. Galicia also has its share of invasive plants- the Australian eucalyptus, Scotch nettles, ivies, etc.  Galicia has preserved some of its dense forests. It is relatively unpolluted, and its landscapes composed of green hills, cliffs and rias are generally different from what is commonly understood as Spanish landscape. Nevertheless, Galicia has some important environmental problems.
 

Deforestation and forest fires are a problem in many areas, as is the continual spread of the eucalyptus tree, a species imported from Australia, actively promoted by the paper industry since the mid-twentieth century. Galicia is one of the more forested areas of Spain, but the majority of Galicia's plantations, usually growing eucalyptus or pine, lack any formal management.Wood and wood products (particularly softwood pulp figure significantly in Galicia's economy. (some content from the last two paragraphs is taken from Wikipedia.)

 We visited his friend who has a music shop and makes reeds for gaitas. Donna bought 3 for a friend in California who asked for “some”. She was astounded to find out that they cost 13 Euro a piece- about $20 each. 

I am having an idea. Although the making of reeds is a skilled craft, I am sure that it is far from impossible. Reeds are made from a certain grass that grows in the marsh. Also thread is involved. I cannot think of more inexpensive materials. How hard can it be, say- compared to lace making, and at $20 a pop, I could be wealthy in no time.