Red touches yellow

I love to drive. I spend most of my day driving the same route back and forth. I still like it because it takes me thought the countryside and you can see the changes in the seasons. There are all kinds of festivals in the small towns I go though but, I never seem to stop.

Today is the day I change that forever. I have decided to follow a new route and I am going to what ever festival I find. It is spring time. Cool mornings and warm days are here.

So the very first festival I find is a reptile festival. I like nature and hike on a regular basis but most reptiles I am not a fan of. I see cages with lizards, snakes, and alligators. Most are not native to this area so they must have been brought in for the festival. I notice a table full of hat bands and what looks to be native Indian jewelry. What a great find. I am just about to ask how much when a little girl say to me, "this is all made from snake skins and quartz. She looks to be about 11 years old. So I ask did you make them? She say No. My older sister is the jeweler. I am just stuck running the booth most of the time. They are good at what they do. I agree and ask how much for the entire display? She look at me in disbelief! I don't know I will have to ask. She picks up her cell phone and send a text. She tells me $3500 for all of it. I tell her I will take it. Then I ask. Can you process a credit card? She replies my sister can. Is your sister here at the festival I ask? No but, at the other end of town pass the old saw mill you will find a old grist mill her snake pit is inside and her workshop. Karen is her name and the name over the door is Karen's handmaid Jewelry. It not far and I will go with you she says. We can load up all the stuff in your pickup and I will guide you there. So off we go left then right, up the hill and over the bridge down the alley behind the old lumber company. This place looks like we just step back to the 1900's and I am completely lost to how we got here.

So we step inside this old building that look like it has been a place a lot of hard work happen many years ago. There are wicker baskets all over the floor with wicker covers over them. A very slim young woman appears wearing a leather apron over a denim dress and she says hello! I reply Hi you must be Karen? She laughs and say I am Lilith. Karen is what my ex husband branded me with and my little sister still call me that. I say "Wow did not see that coming". She says Adam my ex was a real piece of work. He hated snakes but married me anyway. He call me Karen because I always got my own way with everything. He still does all my silver work for me. So you like my work and want to buy the whole lot? Yes I reply I didn't bring cash all I have is a credit card. I will need a itemize receipt if possible. I am sending this to a whole seller who will put it online for auction. I have been looking for a new line and hope to buy more later. Not a problem I will print it off the computer and process it with my phone. It will take me a few minutes. Venus will show you around while I get it set up. I am sorry I replied to the younger girl I never ask you your name. She laughs and says Venus is not my name that just what my sister call me after she caught me sending pictures to my boyfriend. My name is Tori. So why the name Venus I ask? Because she the goddess of Love? No because I wasn't wearing anything in the picture just covering myself with my hands. I end the conversation . Ok so tell me Tori what is in all the baskets? She opens the lid and says snakes of course. Live snakes! The first basket was copperheads roll up in a big ball moving real slow. How do you keep them from leaving the baskets? We keep them refrigerated when we are not sorting them out to use. Karen will skin the snake and put a silver bracket inside the skin to hold the jewels and feeds what left back to the other snakes. That why they are out today she has to let them warm up to eat. They are very docile as long as they are cold. So I open up a basket that full of snakes and ask can I handle them. Tori says sure just be careful. I slowly pick one up and he slowly craws between my fingers. I have not held a snake since I was a kid. Lilith returns with my credit card and the receipt.

Smiles and says you are a lot braver than my ex. I reply I grew up next to the woods and king snakes were everywhere. Lilith replies that is not a king snake it is a coral snake I only make jewelry from poisonous snakes. I guess you never heard the old saying Red touches yellow kills a fellow. red touches black friend of Jack.

Yes I have but, never considered you having a whole basket of coral snakes. They do make great looking pieces of jewelry. Karen says yes they do but only if you are willing to take the risk. They have very small mouth and will only bite areas where they can like between your fingers or toes. I reply I might just had enough snake for one day as a put him back in the basket.