I can’t even express how incredibly sad I was to wake up this morning to the news that Steve Irwin was dead after a stingray attack. I remember first watching “The Crocodile Hunter” years ago with George. We both thought he was a certifiable loon but we loved him and his show and often stayed up too late watching it before bed. For ages we would holler a loud “Crikey” in a questionable imitation of an Aussie accent.

There were times I disagreed with things he did, like the time he was feeding raw chicken to a crocodile with one hand while holding his baby with the other, and boy did he ever come under fire for that. Overall, though, he was such a wonderful person. He was only as crazy as he was because he was so incredibly passionate about his work. He brought animal awareness and interest to so many people, especially kids; on top of that he helped bring that awareness to animals that don’t often get a favorable mention the way that the cuter, furry animals do. As much as I love reptiles myself, you couldn’t pay me enough to get as close to komodo dragons as he did, and that’s what made the show so much fun – the fact that he would go ahead and get right among them, talking about them like they were just misunderstood teenagers.

I feel so badly for his family. Wherever he is, I hope there are lots of crocodiles and funny reptiles for him to play with. Rest in peace, Steve.