By now I'm sure everybody knows, Steve was killed at 11 a.m. Austrailia time today in a freak accident filming off the Great Barrier reef when a giant stingray's barb hit him in the chest and went through his heart. His people got to him quickly and started resusitation but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Some think he died instantaneously as the barb releases a toxin.

He leaves his wife Terri, their 8-year-old daughter Bindi and their 2-year-old son Bob.

So I'm sitting here in my puffy-sleeved goth shirt, my fancy suede vest of many colours with "gold" embroidery highlights, my black jeans and my hiking boots, plus assorted jewellery, ready to go play pirate for the day. Arrr! Avast! Hopefully I won't have to TALK like a pirate all day. The parrot that I bought to compliment the costume last halloween proved to be just a nuisance, constantly slipping off my shoulder and hanging upside down from my armpit like the world's gaudiest bat, so I'm not going to bother with it. I will put on the bandana and my "sword belt" when it gets closer to time to go. Without them, I actually look more like a leftover extra from Lord of the Rings than I do a pirate.

It's a dull day but at least it's not raining and no rain is called for. It might be a little chilly for just a shirt and vest, but pirates don't wear fleece jackets.

Yes, I am taking the camera.

Well it was a little disappointing; being mostly entertainment for the short set and a few vendor's booths. But since we got in free it was a decent way to kill about an hour. Yeah, an hour did the place. A couple people wanted me to stay for the costume contest, but it would have meant trying to spend another hour and a half, and there was just nothing to do. The shows didn't hold my interest for more than a few minutes, and we had already toured all the vendors twice. There were people in some very nice costumes; I got photos of a few of them.

Traffic is absolutely horrendous today, I don't know when I have seen it so bad. It took poor Bev over two hours to get to Fort York, it took me well over an hour. Getting home was just as hair-raising.

I'm not sorry we went--it was something different to do, and kind of fun for an hour (staying more than that would have been pretty boring) and I bought a couple of birthday presents for other people, and for me I bought the obligatory t-shirt (it says "Surrender the booty!" on the back, I couldn't resist) and a really nice celtic-design leather wristband. I could have spent $150 on a beautiful leather hat I'd probably never wear, so don't yell at me for the wristband. :)

I'm starving hungry now...

Oh, the photos:

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/inkling_gid/album?.dir=/78bfre2&.src=ph

My friend Laura sent me her photos, and hers are better than mine (she's a better photographer and more patient than I am.) They are at the beginning of the album so you won't have to go through the whole set again.

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/inkling_gid/album?.dir=1d5ere2

I thought I'd accidentally trashed this--it pays not to empty your recycle bin!

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/inkling_gid/detail?.dir=/1d5ere2&.dnm=b4e9re2.jpg&.src=ph