SALEM — Even in a city well-accustomed to the bizarre, Babe the blue cow is a head-turner.
He's the unofficial mascot of the Mr. Rooter on Jefferson Avenue and perhaps the most fashionable cow this side of Wisconsin.
Mr. Rooter owner Mike McLaughlin bought Babe for about $2,500 in a charity auction to benefit the Jimmy Fund in 2006.
"At first, people asked me, 'Do you have rocks in your head?'" said McLaughlin.
Shortly after, McLaughlin did what only a plumber would do when he buys a model cow at a charity auction — he installed a faucet in its stomach and painted it blue.
Often, he's the best dressed cow on the North Shore. During Easter, McLaughlin dresses Babe with bunny ears. On the Fourth of July, he wears an Uncle Sam hat. He's even been spotted wearing Elton John sunglasses.
These days, Babe is decked out in a yellow polka dot bikini.
"Families come by and gather around it for their Christmas cards," said McLaughlin.
While Babe has developed a cult following in Salem, he has gone relatively unnoticed by most major publications, though his picture once appeared in Pipeline, Mr. Rooter's quarterly magazine.
Then there are the gender identity issues.
"While it has udders, it also has horns," said McLaughlin. "It's androgenous."
Off Beat is a weekly feature of The Salem News. Please send ideas to sflynn@salemnews.com.
