Crafty Ladies’ Felting Project

Annette Johnston — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:46:31 +0000

The Craft Club got together again recently to do some wet felting. I wanted to try out little Liam’s fleece to see how well it would felt. Liam is my young Icelandic sheep, who was sheared for the first time this spring. I picked and then washed his fleece in my washing machine (being careful not to agitate it in any way) with Dawn detergent. It took a couple days to dry. I do love the light gray color, almost like a tweed. I hand carded a small portion for us to use in our felting. We all made small felted pouches, with varying degrees of success. I took a class on wet felting at the Michigan Fiber Festival last summer. I am pleased with my cellphone case, but may decorate it with needlefelting. Liam’s fleece felts beautifully, very fast felting. I will work on carding more of it, and plan to make a tiny camera case and then a purse. I’ll have to make slippers this fall.

Let me know if you do any felting, and what successes you’ve had.

Soon I will be able to upload pictures of the critters to this blog!

Hiking with Dollie Llama

Annette Johnston — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:38:55 +0000

I invited a group of friends to go hiking with me and Dollie Llama herself at the Wadhams/Avoca Rail Trail just outside of Port Huron, Michigan. As we arrived at the trailhead, I saw a beautiful blue sky, and the temperature was just perfect. I unpacked the food and Dollie. I spent some time brushing and combing Dollie. I no sooner finished, than the sky turned black and it started to rain hard, so I hurried Dollie back into her trailer and took shelter in the gazebo. The rain came down in sheets. I said to myself that it will stop soon; it doesn’t rain that hard for very long. Just then, the hail started. The hail came down the size and shape of ice cubes; I’ve never seen anything like it. At least it didn’t cause any damage to my truck or trailer. I said to myself that it can’t get any worse than this. Just then, the hail stopped and the rain started up again. It turned so windy that the rain was coming sideways, and I got wet under the gazebo. At least Dollie was fine in her trailer. Finally, it stopped. My friends came anyway, and we had a lovely hike. That Michigan weather sure is something else.

Cute Baby Turkeys in my Garage

Annette Johnston — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:27:31 +0000

Several little turkey chicks arrived at Frolic Farm, and I am raising them in a box in my garage. They have their special turkey feed, grit for digestion, a small waterer, and a hot light they can stay under when they feel cold. They sure are cute, and active too. It is a challenge to change their papers twice a day, with them trying to fly out as soon as I lift the wire mesh cover. It is hard to believe that by November, they will weigh about 30-40 lbs each. When the weather is warmer, I will move them to their turkey palace by the barn, but will still give them a light to keep any chill away.

Dollie Llama Enjoys Spring Weather

Annette Johnston — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:10:10 +0000

Dollie Llama, Robin (the horse), and little Hershey(mini donkey) are enjoying the nice weather. I’ve been leaving them outside all night, just bringing them in for grain, then turning them back out again.

They all got a clean bill of health with the vet. Everyone behaved well for the vet. Dollie is usually the troublemaker, but we blindfolded her, and she was fine.

Dollie has been going hiking down the road with me, and the two dogs. She sure enjoys it, especially when anyone stops near us and rolls down the window. Dollie charges over and sticks her head in their window, and starts trying to kiss the driver. I try to hold her back until the person tells me it’s ok. Some people in our neighborhood look forward to seeing Dollie and getting kissed. Sometimes their kids will come out of the car to pet Dollie, and then she is more than willing to kiss them too!

Have you ever been kissed by a llama?

Its’s Been a Busy Winter at Frolic Farm

Annette Johnston — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:44:34 +0000

Boy, are we all glad spring seems to have sprung, finally! It was a long, hard winter, and very busy for me too. I am back in the saddle, so to speak, and will resume regular postings. Be sure to send me your comments.

Some sad news to report, one of the pheasants died last month. He was very old, though, so it wasn’t totally unexpected. He was a very beautiful Lady Amherst, and I do hope to be able to replace him.

I have ordered 8 new turkey chicks for delivery in late April. I raise these for sale at Thanksgiving. I try not to get too attached to them, so I don’t name the turkeys anymore. Otherwise, it gets too sad when I deliver them for processing. These are the beautiful American Bronze turkeys, a heritage breed. I raise them organically, and semi-free range. I start them in a box in my garage, with a hot light on them to keep any chill off them. Once they don’t need the light anymore, they graduate to a pen on the floor. After a couple more weeks, they will live in their own turkey palace in front of my main barn, and have a small yard they can run in. Sometimes I let them run loose in my backyard, when I am home and can watch for any problems. I enjoy the turkeys while they are growing up. They are friendly, nice birds.

Talk to you again soon! Enjoy our spring weather.

Lots of Snow in the New Year

Annette Johnston — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:51:57 +0000

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. All the critters here on Frolic Farm enjoyed the holidays. Dollie Llama did receive her brand new, bright red llama halter with jewels on the noseband. It looks beautiful on her. She wore it on Monday when we went for a short hike down our snow-covered road. In the winter, Dollie also wears a cute red and white striped scarf tied around her neck, so you can imagine how darling she looked. She has a matching leadline too. Dollie is quite the fashion-plate.

We had a huge snowstorm on Jan. 1, with very heavy, wet snow. The snow unfortunately accumulated on top of the peacock aviary, and was too heavy for some of the mesh. The mesh tore in several spots. Consequently, I had to lock up the peacocks and pheasants in the barn until I can make repairs to their pen. They are not too happy right now.

The snow does look pretty on the trees and bushes though. I do hope it melts soon!

Crafty Ladies Made Beautiful Outdoor Decorations

Annette Johnston — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:37:48 +0000

At our latest Craft Club meeting, we made really nice winter-season decorations that we can leave on display after Christmas is past. These are outdoor decorations that are beautiful, yet very easy to make. If you would like to make an easy, low-cost craft, here are the directions. I used a white plastic hanging pot still filled with dirt that was leftover from my fall yard cleanup. You might want to do this craft in your garage, because it can get messy. First, dampen the soil with a little water. Then, prune some of your overgrown evergreens/holly bushes/pine branches/etc. Cut them to an appropriate length, based on the size of the container you are using. Arrange them attractively in the container, pushing them down into the soil. To make the planter prettier, add some red berries (artificial or real), pinecones, etc. for color and texture. Proudly display your new creation outside. Remember to water it occasionally.

Merry Christmas from Frolic Farm!

Tips on Caring for a Llama, DeWorming

Annette Johnston — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:36:25 +0000

I have learned a few things in the last 5 years I have owned Dollie Llama, and thought I would share them with you. A disclaimer: always consult with your veterinarian first.

Let’s talk about deworming your llama. You do need to deworm your llama at least every 3 months, using a rotation of wormer products. It is not advisable to use the same type of wormer every time, due to resistance developing. The vet can administer a shot of Dectomax once a year. This is needed, due to the Meningeal worm. I use several types of tube wormers for the other 3 wormings; Panacur, Ivermectin, Strongid, and Anthelcide. Dollie can be quite a handful when she even sees the tube coming her way. I get quite a workout, trying to hold Dollie and administer the tube of worm medicine. (Having a helper would make it easier) Do wear sturdy shoes, and expect to get dirty. It’s one way to work up a sweat, even during a Michigan winter. Recently, I found an Ivermectin powder that can be poured on the feed, so that is much easier. For the others, I use about half of a tube, with Dollie weighing about 400 lbs.

You can add your comments below. Share your worming ideas!

Mysterious Gourd Disappearance

Annette Johnston — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:12:03 +0000

It’s fall harvest time at Frolic Farm here in Michigan, so we picked all of the remaining gourds and stored them in my little red wagon in my garage. There were several nice large gourds that I planned to dry out and enter in the State Fair next August, plus assorted small gourds for decorations. The next day, I happened to glance at the wagon, and noticed that all of the nice large gourds were gone! Who could have broken into my garage and stolen them? Quite a mystery. Then I thought of Kandi, my golden retriever, who likes to pick things up that don’t belong to her. Sure enough, my beautiful gourds were spread out all over my back yard, with Kandi-sized tooth marks ruining them. She left all of the small gourds alone, and just went for the nice ones. When confronted with the evidence, Kandi was sorry she had acted up. She is so sweet-natured, that I can’t stay mad at her long. It looks like I won’t be showing gourds at the State Fair next summer.

Be sure to put your comments in below. I would like to hear about your dog experiences too.

New Icelandic Lamb at Frolic Farm

Annette Johnston — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:00:18 +0000

A new friend for Lambchop has arrived at Frolic Farm; his name is Liam, and is he ever cute. I bought a young Icelandic wether a couple weeks ago, and he is living with Lambchop in their sheep paddock. Liam is so friendly and sweet-natured, that he has fit right in with his new buddy, Lambchop. He is very small, and Lambchop is huge but friendly, except when food is involved. Then he gets a little bit possessive. Liam made the mistake of sampling Lambchop’s hay, and Lambchop took exception to that, and body-slammed him into the fence. Poor Liam wasn’t hurt, just his pride. He now shows the proper respect to Lambchop and any edibles.

When I get a camera, I will post pictures. For now, I will describe Liam as having beautiful big, curved horns, and long, multi-colored fleece. He has a wide white stripe on his face.

That’s all for today. Feel free to send in comments on any of the posts, or questions.