Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

Once upon a flock . . . .

Reading Once Upon a Flock
Reading Once Upon a Flock

What a cute title for a book . . . Once Upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens is Lauren Scheuer’s loving memoir about raising her own chickens in her New England backyard. Although Lauren and I haven’t met in person, we’ve bonded over our chickens on Facebook and on her blog, Scratch and Peck. I love her plucky attitude. Yes, pun intended. When she wanted a chicken coop, she built it. I like girls who wield power tools with aplomb. I remember when her Barred Plymouth Rock, Lucy, was sick, and all of us on Facebook fretted when the flock shunned her. Sometimes, chicken life is so hard, and chickens can be unconsciously cruel. You may argue that one cannot be unconsciously cruel, but I’d say you’ve never met a flock of chickens. It can have a mob mentality all its own. On balance are the hens and roosters one-on-one. Wait . . . maybe humans are more like chickens than we think. Hens can be such wonderful mothers. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen one with her clutch of peeps. In addition, most roosters get a bad rap. My roosters have been noble creatures. Some protected their flock with their very lives.

When Lauren sent me a copy of the book for review, I was excited. When she let me give a copy away, I was over the moon.

I find memoirs great fun, and this one is very fun indeed. It contains photos of Lauren’s chickens, along with her drawings. Lauren is a long-time illustrator. Her portfolio shows some of her work.

If you’d like to win a copy of Lauren’s book, you must live in the United States. Please leave a comment below giving me your email address and your name.  This little contest will run from today through next Thursday, March 28, at 11:59 p.m. I’ll announce the winner sometime during the day on Friday, March 29. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. I love you all too much to make that decision myself.

Lauren also drew a photo of my dear pups, Maddie and Tap. She caught their wonderful personalities. Thank you Lauren. I’ll cherish it always.

Lauren is such a great illustrator she really caught Tap and Maddie's personalities.
Lauren is such a great illustrator she really caught Tap and Maddie’s personalities.

Here are some of the other blogs participating in this fun.

March 19 Tilly’s Nest
March 20 Hencam.com
March 23 Our Little Acre
March 27  Garden Rant

The book is darling. I hope you win, but if not here, perhaps at one of the other blogs?

 

UPDATE: The Random Number Generator chose comment No. 2. Brenda from the Blonde Gardener won! Congratulations Brenda! I’ll send  you an email to get your prize.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carla

    I don’t have any chickens right now, but my uncle does and I sometimes help him with his.
    I just found your site, and some others, in this contest and it’s great! There are some cool chicks out there!
    Thanks for the chance to win! (btw, i’m from Iowa)

    cjay (at) iavalley (dot) edu

    Love Lauren’s artwork of your doggies!

  4. Teya Starre

    In case i don’t win I have one coming from the library. I’m a chickiemom with 12 peepers coming the end of april. yahoo

  5. Pam's English Garden

    Dee, I find the combination of ‘memoir’ and ‘chickens’ irresistible as I love both. I don’t own chickens, though, due to opposition from my husband who thinks we have too much work here already, and too many foxes around. I’ll just have to enjoy them vicariously by reading the book. P. x

  7. Cady

    I would love to win this book! Lauren has such a talent for writing and drawing. I love to read her blog, so I would love to own this book! I have loved this giveaway, because I have gotten to see such great new blogs run by amazing people. Thank you for this giveaway!

  8. Connie

    I borrowed this book this weekend and devoured it! I’d love to have a copy of my own and I highly recommend this sweet little book!

  9. Kat @ Rose Prairie

    How nice to find your blog through Lauren Book Hop. I love chickens and gardening.And I’m so glad to find you seeing how I too live in Oklahoma, Northeast part. So knowing your info is directly from here. Thank you and the chance to win a copy.

  11. Gina Covina

    I love meeting great chicken and garden bloggers through this virtual tour, so inspiring. Thank you.

  14. Elizabeth

    I’ve recently discovered all these lovely (new to me) blogs and am so excited!! I would love a chance to own this book. Thank you 🙂

  16. Holly

    Just an FYI, on your blog (upper right column) you have a link to this page so your readers can follow you here. You have an extra “http://facebook…” in the link that you may want to fix because not all of your readers may be as tenacious as me 🙂 Love your blog!

  17. Ann

    I, too, am hoping to get the courage to raise a flock. I worry about predators since we have a lot of raccoon and coyotes. I would feel bad if something would happen. Would love a copy of the book!!

  18. Ellen Sousa

    I only discovered Lauren’s book website and book recently, from a local paper, which is amazing as she lives very close by here in MA…I adore our small flock of hens and their antics and cheerful ways keep us so entertained…would LOVE a copy of her book..

  19. Patti

    Love Lauren’s work. I love owning chickens. My girls are so much fun. It’s nice reading about other kindred spirits.

  22. Amanda Geaney

    Thank you for being apart of the blog tour. It’s so nice to meet you. We ourselves just bought 10 chicks this spring to start our own backyard flock. I agree with you earlier post and will keep my girls into “retirement”.

  23. Sue Ellen

    We haven’t raised chickens here for many years. We’ve had both ducks and geese the last few years with little success because of the local coyote population. I need to check out her blog, and would love to read her book.

  25. Jason

    My spouse allows only inanimate chickens – metal, ceramic, concrete – which she collects. No live chickens are allowed.

  26. SHERYL HINES

    I’ve never raised chickens but it is my fondest memory with my paternal grandfather whom I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to know long. It was the only one on one time we had. BUT as wonderful as chickens is rescuing dogs. I have been blessed by these sweet babies for about 5 years now. They have taught me more than anything what God’s unconditional love can mean. After all, what is “dog” spelled backwards? I just happened upon your website while looking to prune my roses and I have found another “Godwink” to my heart. Thank you and sure hope your week is blessed abundantly!

  28. Sophia

    I’m hoping this book would be useful to a future chicken owner? Looking for information on raising chickens in Oklahoma is how I originally found your wonderful blog :).

  29. Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening

    We have had chickens ourselves for decades and I agree they each have their own personality. Just like people, some are more lovable than others. My 10yo daughter is the current chicken keeper and I would love to win this book for her.

  31. rita

    I already have a copy of Lauren’s book, btw. I’m just starting to feel a bit ‘second-class’ & unwanted with all this “States only” stuff going on.

  32. rita

    Why “in the States only”? This is becoming more common and I’d like to know why. It’s not more trouble to mail to Canada. You just put the address on the envelope and off it goes. That’s what we do, when mailing TO the States. Works just fine.

    • Dee Nash

      Hi Rita, I’m not sure why the contest requires winners to be only from the U.S. I’ll ask Lauren though. It’s a good question, but I’m guessing it was a requirement from her publisher. I send things to Canada quite often so I get what you’re saying. Before I saw that you already had the book, I was going to offer up mine. Thanks for bringing this up. We love our Canadian neighbors.~~Dee

  33. Debbie McMurry

    I would love to read this book. I love my chickens and can relate to the cute stories I have seen.

  34. Kathy

    I love Lauren’s blog and I’m excited to find yours now too. So delightful.
    I’d love to read Lauren’s book!

  40. Aisling

    That looks like a very good read. Have been keeping chickens myself for nearly a year and adore our 15 dear hens, and our one bold rooster. I am learning that if you are a little down, go tend the hens. They will cheer you with their chatter and their simple sweetness of being.

  43. granny annie

    I too have learned the value of the roosters in my flock. They do lay down their lives for their girls. This is a wonderful opportunity to win the book ONCE UPON A FLOCK. You have really given a great review.

  45. Lisa at Greenbow

    I would thoroughly enjoy this book no doubt. Thanks for the chance to receive it.