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| October 2, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Troll Bridge
in Ann Arbor |
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Not only are there urban-fairies building fairy doors in Ann Arbor, but there is a genuine bridge troll as well!
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South State Street looking North at the Stadium Boulevard Troll bridge.
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One sign reads: TROLL BRIDGE
The Triangular sign reads: OR AN ARM & A LEG |
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Although there was a sign which read "Clearance 13'-6" "
(which is clearly a typo) I am sure it should be "Clarence 15'-6" " (standing height, squatting he is "only" 8 feet tall) |
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Clarence in his habitat.
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| Closer to Clarence. You can see his tattoo of the lower peninsula of Michigan on his shoulder. For those who don't know, yoopers (folk from the upper peninsula of Michigan) often refer to those who live "below" the bridge (Mackinac bridge) as "trolls" (that would be lower peninsular dwellers). |
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There seems to be some debate as to whether this squirrel is a friend or a snack.
(most folk are leaning towards "snack") |
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| LOOK! Clarence caught a couple kids! Though I happen to know that they are definitely *not* orfans, they are really great kids. And heaven help the troll who tried to cause them any harm... Their mother is...um...formidable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October 4, 2011
8:00a.m. Clarence has been trollnapped. (as expected) |
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| MISSING LINK |  |
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Concerned citizens
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The signs worked!
Or Clarence escaped! Or Clarence was let loose after he trashed an apartment, dorm room or fraternity. We may never know but he was back unde rhis bridge looking a bit bent out of shape and with a broken ankle. |
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His sign is back too!
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Clarence was understandably bent out of shape! It took a great deal of effort to hold him back from just jumping into traffic!
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Eventually Clarence settled back in. He is of course apprehensive about the angle of the sun there. Unlike some vampires, which *sparkle* in sunlight (OoOOoo),
a troll truns to stone! |
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There are other dangers for bridge trolls....
ROBO-TROLLS! (note the cones, Clarence's bridge is soon to be torn down) |
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Gone again!
was he abducted or too frightened? |
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On a tip, I was able to find Clarence laying low on the North side of the bridge.
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Later I saw him lurking in the shadows.
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November 17, 2011
The City painted over all the graffiti on the bridge so that the rubble would be undefaced when the brodge was torn down. ? (actually, it painted over for the photo op whne they had the ground/bridge breaking ceremony. a wekk later there was new graffiti on the "clean-slate") |
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December 15, 2011
The bridge was gone as was Clarence. (or is he?) |
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For fun I made a Clarence postcard.
(and poster) I might sell them, but I think most people would not remember Clarence ...or his bridge. |
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Click on pic to zoom
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The construction (DEconstruction) of the old bridge uncovered a surprise.
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This is where it (fairy doors) all began — the concept, the phenomenon. This site is all about the Fairy Doors in Ann Arbor, Michigan (the original fairy doors) and what illustrator, Jonathan b. Wright , certified fairyologist, discovers about them. It includes photographs of the Fairy Doors, comments in the Fairy Journals, Observations and speculations about the Fairies. Tiny Doors, Urban Fairies®, Faery, Faeries, Fairy, Fairies, miniature doors, tiny doors, little doors, tiny fairy doors, little fairy doors, little faery doors, tiny faery doors, weensy doors, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, Peaceable Kingdom, Jefferson Market, The Ark, The Ann Arbor Framing Company, Selo Shevel Gallery, Lakewood Elementary Kindergarten, Fairy ticket window, Found Gallery, Mott Children's Hospital, The Michigan Theater, Google Offices, Nicola's Books, Found Gallery, Flying Pumpkin Cottage, fairy entrances, fairy windows, fairy spaces, fairy store, fairy shop, Flat Fairies, Clarence the Bridge Troll, fairy droppings. The site will be updated frequently with new excerpts from the Fairy Journals, New fairy sightings, Specifics about each location a fairy map. Any new knowledge of the fairy activity will be passed along by Jonathan. Also on this site are some hidden fairy surprises and a list of Frequently Asked Questions about Fairies. There is a brief history of how Jonathan became involved with the Urban Fairies®. There are links to local publications about the Urban Fairy® phenomenon. Jonathan is currently writing several books on the fairies in collaboration with his wife, Kathleen, who coincidentally has found a fairy door in her kindergarten classroom. Hopefully it will be fun and informative to come back and see what's new with the Urban Fairies of Ann Arbor.
THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL FAIRY DOORS
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since 1993