It's baby season in Los Gatos. Santa Cruz Avenue is sporting so many strollers we need to paint a white line on the sidewalk and create a stroller lane, like the bike lanes. Lots of moms in shorts and sandals have been taking advantage of the spring weather to introduce their infants to sunshine. New moms tend to travel in pairs, it seems, although one stroller the other day was being pushed by a grandpa who employed a clever one-hand technique to wind through the afternoon shoppers and coffee drinkers.
One baby on Almendra Avenue caused the Prowler to stop and stare because it sounded just like a cat, but closer inspection revealed a baby of the human variety.
Lots of babies on the way, too, from the looks of things. It was an especially cold, wet winter, and we had that week when the power went out. . .
The other frequent passersby in downtown Cat Town are bicyclists and joggers. Seeing the ever-popular plastic water bottles they carry makes the Prowler wonder if there's a connection between these bottles and the baby bottles their moms thought they weaned their offspring
from years ago.
Anyway, one of the Prowler's favorite haunts, for obvious reasons, is Purrsnickety, a shop devoted to cats. Imagine this cat's consternation to see a puppy of unknown heritage right outside the shop, soaking up love from a cluster of teenagers. To add insult to injury, the next day another dog was passing by Purrsnickety just as the Prowler happened by, making the Prowler wonder if this town's going to the dogs.
The fur was smoothed back down by the Phantom of the Opera music playing from nearby loudspeakers--if you've got to have Muzak, at least it's good music--and the saying on a sweatshirt on display there: "A cat leaves paw marks on your heart." Very delicate paw marks, naturally.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, April 17, 1996
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