Being part of the Strom family, it’s no wonder Micah Strom and Janelle Hanrahan’s plain old mailbox wouldn’t do! Last year inspiration hit and they created the Watering Can Mailbox which is more in keeping with the long standing, “famous” Strom family mailboxes on Bainbridge; notably the Bob’s Big Boy and the 1949 Packard.

The Strom’s are huge fans of swap meets near and far. No distance is too great to travel in search of vintage memorabilia or classic cars however the rusted-out watering can was found close to home at the Monroe, WA swap meet.  Having quirky creativity in his DNA, Micha Strom is always on the lookout for “something interesting” so naturally he pegged the rusted watering can as a cool mailbox. I mean, who wouldn’t? He said it was rusty “from one end to the other” and nabbed it for seven dollars. The old watering can waited patiently on their front porch for about a month before Micah took it to his dads’ place to begin working on it. His dad being Dick Strom of the Packard mailbox who has all manner of cutting and welding tools as well as a metal scrap pile full of yet undiscovered treasures. Micah used a plasma cutter to cut the bottom of the watering can so that it would conform to the contour of his traditional mailbox but said there was tar on the inside of the can which quickly caught fire. Unfazed (and unharmed) he finished cutting and brought it back home to rivet onto his existing mailbox. After the watering can was affixed, they painted it green with the intention of adding flowers on the sides. In a stroke of horticultural inspiration Micah used old spigot handles as the flower heads on both sides of the watering can. He found them in his father’s scrap pile. The finishing touch was painting the spigot handles different colors and adding the painted stems, leaves, grass and sun to create truly unique and inspired flower garden. A bee is painted on the front symbolic of the honeybees they keep. Their five-year-old daughter Opal enthusiastically participated every step of the way. Janelle is super excited because she said, “the boring mailbox bugged me, I wanted something exciting”. Micah adds, “We like the unique” as he gestures toward the yard and driveway. I notice random yard art and a spotless antique car.

In addition to their newly fabulous mailbox, they built a farm stand at the foot of their driveway and with Opal in kindergarten, they’re hoping to get permission from the city to build a bus shelter at Spring Ridge and Fletcher Bay to protect the school kids from the rain. They include Opal in everything to teach her to be a good helper.

The old watering can may no longer hold water but is a happy thing in its proud new life holding the hearts of all who venture down this sweet cul-de-sac in the Fletcher Bay neighborhood.

Denise Stoughton is currently writing a gift book highlighting the curiously creative mailboxes of Bainbridge Island and the stories behind them. Traversing the island in her white VW Beetle in search of the island’s most interesting mailboxes, she’s become known as “The Mailbox Lady” and has even been mistaken for a mail thief. Arbiter of all things postal, when she learned of the famous Kindred Spirit Mailbox of Bird Island, NC she enlisted the help of the Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District to install a Kindred Spirit Mailbox in upper Fort Ward Park. Stoughton says her quirky mailbox obsession has brought her closer to the community and is “crazy fun”. Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook and to purchase mailbox related gift items visit https://www.uniquelybainbridge.com/shop.