The line between stupidity and bravery has been crossed...

Oh, this is a good story.

As I was sitting on the couch, sipping a Coke Zero and trying to wake up enough to think of a topic for this post, our local news helped me out.

It goes along with my "Only in Florida" theme. Like only in Florida can you find a shoplifter named Cherries Waffles Tennis.

Okay, so this kid has made the often gray line between stupidity and bravery bright red.

Austin is 18 and lives in Wimauma, Florida. Now granted, this little town doesn't have a lot to do, so those kids there like to hunt and fish.

Austin Hatfield, 18 and obviously proud of his snake handling ability.

Austin, being a "daredevil" liked to find snakes. There's nothing wrong with that. When I was younger, I liked to look for snakes, too. But, there are some things you DO NOT TOUCH.

One of those things is a live cottonmouth water moccasin.

We have lots of these in Florida, because we have lots of water here, and these snakes love water. They look somewhat like other black snakes here, but when these snakes open their mouths, there's no mistaking them. They have a distinct white mouth that looks like it's full of cotton. They're also pit vipers, with the diamond-shaped head you associate with poisonous snakes.

Anyway, Austin found a cottonmouth he'd taken a ken to, and he decided to take it home and keep it as a pet. I guess he even let it "sleep" in his pillowcase.

You're lucky you didn't lose that tongue, Austin.

I'm surprised he survived one night. To demonstrate he was a genuine "snake whisperer," he took the snake out yesterday, put it on the kitchen table, and started kissing it. He counted the times he could kiss it.

"One." He jerked away without a bite.

"Two, three, four, five, six...," Austin took a moment to think of the number that comes after six,
"...seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve..."

And then the snake said...

Austin got tagged ON THE FACE, and good. He ran out of the kitchen yelling, "Hospital! Hospital! Now, NOW!"

A family member killed the snake and took it with them to the hospital, which is actually the right thing to do, if possible, as it helps hospital personnel to know what kind of anti-venom to give.

By the time he reached the hospital, Austin was in critical condition. Today, he's doing a little better, and is expected to survive.

I hope he's learned that a snake can never replace a girl.

Of course, I wish Austin a speedy and full recovery. I hope he's learned a valuable lesson. Like thirteen is an unlucky number. And that it is never wise to anticipate  the next move of a dangerous wild animal.

I post this because snake season is upon us, and people will be searching in snake-populated areas. Watch your pets, watch your feet, watch the path ahead. Keep your eyes on the ground--for more than one reason. Most of the time, snakes will "feel" you coming and slither away before you can get close.

However, snakes come out in the morning to sun themselves on warm surfaces, and if you're out walking around the wilderness in the early morning, a snake may not move off your path before you're on top of it. They're cold blooded, so they're more sluggish in the morning than they are after they've warmed awhile in the sun.

A lot of people think the treasure could be hidden among rocks like the one in the picture below. But, be cautious, because something a lot less friendly could be hanging around. DON'T go putting your hand into dark crevices in any of those four states!

And remember, just because you don't hear a rattle, and just because the snake may not look like what you think all rattlesnakes look like, doesn't mean it's not a rattlesnake. They can be dark, like in the picture above, or they can look almost black, like this one:

Or they can look like this:

And remember, a baby rattlesnake can't control the amount of venom they deliver like an adult can, so you're likely to get a larger, deadlier dose of venom from a baby than an adult snake. And babies are deceptively cute. DO NOT TOUCH!

Also remember that dead rattlesnakes can still "bite" and inject venom.

Be careful out there this summer and fall. Be brave, but don't be Austin.