Cast of Characters
(Listed more or less in order of appearance and by type.)
Nonhuman
Indoor Birds
Ollie: the Mussolini of brotogeris pocket parrots
Stanley Sue: endearing African grey Timneh parrot
Howard: ring-neck dove who’s anything but peaceful
Dusty: knot-tying Congo African grey parrot
Louie: proud ‘male’ cockatiel who surprised us with an egg
Bella: gentle but ear-biting African grey Timneh parrot
Indoor Mammals
Bertie: ultimately tail-less Netherland dwarf bunny
Walter: lumbering Checker Giant rabbit
Rudy: cuddly escape artist dwarf bunny
Agnes: take-charge outdoor cat
Moobie: insists her cat water bowl be held for her
Penny: upstairs hidey cat
Frieda: tonnage masquerading as a New Zealand rabbit
Outdoor Birds
Lulu: spoiled white Pekin duck
Hamilton: menacing alpha male Muscovy duck
Victor: Muscovy duck who prefers chomping watermelon to Bob
Ramone: the world’s shyest Muscovy duck
Buffy: Buff Orpington hen, possibly a philosopher
Liza and Hailey: African goose sisters
Matthew: Considers top-knotted hairdos an affront to geese
Angel and Patty: presumed goose brother and sister
Human
Bob Tarte: long-suffering author
Linda Tarte: long-suffering author’s put-upon wife
Bob’s mom: Bob’s mom
Joan Smith: Bob’s sister who’s enslaved by ferrets
Bette Worley: Bob’s organizational genius sister
Eileen Kucek: grade-school classmate turned grade-A nuisance
Judy Teany: well-meaning neighbor to Bob’s mom
Henry Murphy: master gardener who tramples plants
Marge Chedrick: tireless wildlife rehabber
Kate: owner of spoiled house duck Lulu
Bo: co-owner of the The Weigh and Pay restaurant
Roswitha: Bob and Linda’s neighbor on the river
Dr. Fuller: avian vet extraordinaire
Dr. Hedley: zoo vet genius
Inhuman
Noises in the night: only Bob seems to hear them
Ed: a sock monkey
Hose demon: sinister force that snags and kinks garden hoses
Telephone: brings one dollop of unpleasantness after another
Bill Holm: two-dimensional buddy to Bob
Bobo the Roller Clown: precipitator of coincidences
Mom’s purse: frequently hides in the bread drawer
