BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — Malia Kelly's lighthouse-shaped mailbox stands sentry at the end of her driveway. Jody Loving has a dozen repurposed boxes, now grouped as a towering sculpture in her backyard. And Mark Johnson built a mailbox from the boat accessory that bears his family's name.
"It works very well," Johnson said, demonstrating the mail flag now affixed to the former Johnson-brand motor.
Bainbridge Island has gone postal.
"The sinking ferry is absolutely one of my favorites," said Denise Stoughton, standing next to a mailbox in the shape of, yes, a sinking ferry.
"We have so much creativity here," Stoughton added.
This quirky community's residents have a gift for boxes, and Stoughton takes note of every remarkable receptacle.
"I'm an obsessive observationalist," Stoughton said.
Around here they call Stoughton, an interior designer, the "Mailbox Lady" because of her love of crafty creations, like the full-sized vintage Bob's Big Boy figure paired with a mailbox bearing a hotrod paint job.
"Big Boy came all the way from Hershey, Pennsylvania, across country, on the top of a Ford Explorer," Stoughton said. "Nothing escapes my notice. It's a blessing and a curse."
From a chainsaw-carved owl to an orca made from driftwood, Stoughton has been gathering the stories behind every noteworthy one.
"I started knocking on doors to ask people why they created the mailbox they had outside," Stoughton said.
Stoughton created a Facebook page for Bainbridge to keep track of all its streetside sculptures.
"I think of them collectively," she said, "and they all have such personality. I feel like they're my family."
Stoughton's enthusiasm has stirred mailboxing mania. Even a resident dog, Toby, has one created in his likeness.
Neighbor Malia Kelly said, "She has gotten this whole community so excited."
Stoughton got the stamp of approval from local police, though at first, she aroused their suspicion.
"It just so happened they were looking for a mail thief who also drives a white Beetle, so they were sure they had the person," Stoughton laughed.
Because every box has a backstory, Stoughton is putting them into print in a soon-to-be-published book.
"I've written about 55 essays," Stoughton said.
She's even commissioned artist Shelley Ylst to create companion watercolor interpretations.
When it comes to capturing the beauty of these mail service masterpieces, the Mailbox Lady of Bainbridge Island delivers.
"I know there are more that I haven't found yet," Stoughton said, "I'm not done yet."
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