Fowl Weather

In Bob Tarte's home, pandemonium is the order of the day, and animals literally rule the roost—thirty-nine of them at last count. Whether it's the knot-tying African grey parrot, or the overweight cat who's trained Bob to hold her water bowl just above the floor, or the nightmarish duck who challenges him to a shoving match, this menagerie, along with his endlessly optimistic wife, Linda, provides daily lessons on the chaos inherent in our lives. But not until this modern-day Noah's Ark hits stormy weather—and Bob's world spins out of control—does he realize that this exuberant gaggle of animals provides his spiritual anchor. It is their alien presence, their sense of humor, and their impulsive behavior that both drive Bob crazy and paradoxically return him to sanity.

With the same sly humor and dead-on character portraits that made Enslaved by Ducks such a rousing success, Tarte proves that life with animals offers a wholly different perspective on the world.

"Bob's tone is self-deprecating, humorous, and totally winsome." —Nancy Pearl, NPR Morning Edition

"His nuthouse of animals provides his spiritual anchor. Tarte presents his memoir of this difficult year with grace and offbeat humor." —Ariel Wulff, Examiner.com

"On the web-footed heels of Enslaved by Ducks , Tarte serves up another helping of his always-interesting life surrounded by animals . . . What the author discovers is that his animals give him his center and focus, and that for all the headaches they can cause they also provide a form of sanity." — Booklist