Halloween In Southwest Florida In Spite Of ‘Hurricane Ian

Through all of the debris and destruction of the last month, it really did happen last night. Halloween in Southwest Florida in spite of Hurricane Ian.

Not all areas are safe yet for trick-or-treaters. Some kids are still living in shelters. But those who could, kept the tradition going as best as possible. The piles of leaves and debris in the neighborhood I went to, were turned into spooky decor with spider webs and vampires amongst leaves and tree stumps.

Halloween isn't just for the little kids. The big ones enjoy it too.  I came into the station in the wee hours of the morning yesterday and saw a green blur out of the corner of my eye. This was pre-coffee so I wasn't sure what was happening.

It was a co-worker in costume. The conversation I overheard next went something like this.

An unidentified person in the hallway asked Felipe, the costumed co-worker, if he was Gumby. You might remember comedian Eddie Murphy's edgy version of the Gumby character on "Saturday Night Live." Here is a clip if not so you can understand what happens next.

Without hesitati0n and in the famous Gumby cadence, Felipe shouted, "I'm not Gumby dammit." Then added,  "I am a pickle ball." It was good to hear the laughter that followed. That's what Halloween is about, fun.

He was wearing this giant foam pickle on top, dressed for the court on the bottom. Creativity points.

I typically like to dress up for Halloween but I couldn't get to my costume box this year. I've had a few people in and out of my place, since the storm. Making accommodations for guests made it difficult for me to access my Halloween gear. In addition,  I just didn't have the creative energy to come up with a costume this year.

However, so many others did. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos for this gallery. Also, for offering proof that after everything we've been through in the last month, it really did happen. Halloween in Southwest Florida in spite of Hurricane Ian.

It's her season. Heidi Klum, aka the "Halloween Queen," always reigns supreme, going above and beyond with her Halloween costumes. Every year, we are amazed at her complete transformation with the help of prosthetics and special effects makeup. Klum’s annual Halloween Party has been attracting some of the biggest names in film, fashion and music since 2000, and each year the host tries to top her last look.

The pandemic forced the America's Got Talent host to postpone her annual Halloween party for the past two years, but she still did something for her fans. With the help of her family and close friends, she created a "Heidi Halloween" video, which she shared on Instagram.

As for her Halloween costume for 2022, Klum hasn't dropped any visual hints, but the 49-year-old supermodel told Entertainment Tonight that this year’s costume is going to be "very claustrophobic."

“I'm going to be very claustrophobic,” Klum teased. “Very claustrophobic. Very, very, very claustrophobic, but I don't want to let my Halloween fans down, or myself. It's an internal challenge with myself every year to come up with something amazing, something unexpected,” she continued. “I feel like I've achieved that this year, now I just really hope it works.”

Klum joked that the prosthetic-heavy costume might be so claustrophobic that she’ll need medical attention on standby. "There's never really a trial," she continued. "There's no dress rehearsal, so, when I do it that day – it's either it works or it doesn't work, so I hope it works."

This year's annual Halloween party will return in New York City, the perfect setting for the all-night bash she's trying to throw. "My friends, also from all over the world, come to New York," Klum said. "I love doing this in New York -- I love L.A., I live in L.A., and I've done the party here once, but the thing is, I sit in hair and makeup in my whole look for like, 14 hours to get it done, and then here, people are like, it's 10, 11 o'clock and they're like, 'Yeah, I gotta go night-night, I gotta go to bed.'"

See our favorite Heidi Klum costumes over the past 20 years below: