List Stories: The Case of the Rubber Chickens

Photograph by Allison McDougall

The thing about the Salt Spring Community Email List is that you just never know when it might come in handy.  It’s a love-hate relationship, really.  With a different “like new” queen-size bed listed almost everyday, I’ve gotten to wonder what everyone on this island is sleeping on. And when you live in a 400-sq-foot suite up the steepest Salt Spring driveway known to south-enders, the last thing you want is another bed – or anything else, for that matter.

Since I first signed up for the daily emails, I was mostly a passive observer: reading each email with a touch of voyeuristic curiosity. It felt like sitting behind blinds with binoculars, watching the neighbourhood shenanigans. But when you live in the sticks like I do, there are no neighbours to spy on, so this was filling that void, I suppose.

And then I found myself in need of a special something.

You see, I take part in this thing called Bench Monday. Its just for fun, really.  There are only a few rules: take a photo of yourself standing on a bench, wear something pretty and it must be taken on the day named Monday. Extra points are given for live props, and double points if the live prop is a chicken. The resulting photo gets posted to the Flickr group, and as you can see, it is just pure silliness.

I’d participated a few weeks in a row; once with a newborn bunny, another with a goat, then her newborn kid a week later, and a polish-crested hen also made an appearance. Looking for inspiration, I mentioned my little Monday project to a friend. He suggested I hang a dripping bloody butcher knife off my belt and hold two chickens upside down, one in each hand. The henhouse slaughter idea made me laugh. Not wanting to offend the faint-hearted vegans in the group, I didn’t pursue it. But the idea stuck around. After mentioning it to someone at work, she suggested replacing a live chicken with a rubber chicken. What an idea!  Where would I find rubber chickens, I wondered? Oh yeah, that Community Email List thingy.

Once I sent out the email request, it wasn’t long before my inbox starting filling up with responses. It was amazing how many people were game. Not one single person was willing to sell or give away their rubber chicken – they all made that very clear. However, everyone was quite enthusiastic about lending it out for a short time. I had such an overwhelming response, that I had to turn down many friendly Salt Springers. One particular generous woman had to meet me and tell me the story of all three chickens she was lending. They clearly held a special place in her heart.

The actual Bench Monday photo shoot never takes more than a few minutes.  Its something I fit in during my workday, with the generous help of a creative coworker. We took advantage of the rubber chickens, added a butcher knife and some ketchup-cum-blood and I stood on a bench.  Big smiles all around.

So, theres one success story from the Salt Spring Community Email List.  If you’re inspired, please check out my Bench Monday – Rubber Chicken Edition photo on Flickr or the rest of my Flickr photostream.

Thanks to Christopher Roy and Suzanne Little for all the hardwork put into keeping the list and their website going.  Without it, I’d be rubber chicken-less.  And that’d be no fun at all.

NOTE: No Rubber Chickens Were Harmed in the Making of this Photo

———————————————————————

More About Allison McDougall

Allison McDougall is a prairie girl, now living in the deep south, on Salt Spring Island. Having worked with recovering heroin addicts in Vancouver for years, and advocating for women involved in the criminal justice system, Allison needed a breather from the big city. She came to this little westcoast island for a two-week break – to volunteer on an organic farm; that was four years ago.  She looks forward to one day calling herself a Local.

Allison works at Salt Spring Island Cheese Company with a bunch of cool cats, including Ms. J, the most amazing Bench Monday assistant on earth.

Allison would one day like to call herself a photographer.  She is practicing every day to that end and is always seeking free Polaroid, Holga or D-SLR camera. ;)