The Prowler has met a kindred spirit. An all-white cat with pale green eyes has been lolling in the dirt next to the creek behind the Los Gatos Weekly-Times office. Squeaky voice and a little bit of attitude, as befits a fellow prowler. Stop by sometime and say "meow."
Flag Day came and went this month with minimal celebration. The biggest American flags around these days seem to be flying at auto dealerships. Another kind of flag graces the front of many Los Gatos homes these days. Is the Prowler the only one who stares at all those bright banners and almost crashes the Honda trying to figure out what country they represent, only to find they're just decoration? Put a catnip banner outside the Prowler's beleaguered den.
Some of the drivers on N. Santa Cruz Avenue last week may have sniffed a little catnip themselves. Whatever the cause, several high-end autos barely missed the Prowler's fleeing furry tail, causing this cat to ponder whether it would be nobler to be squashed by a Lexus or a BMW. Sidewalks and crosswalks are for walking, folks.
Maybe one of the reasons drivers don't always stop for pedestrians is they're so busy talking on their car phones. It's getting rare to see a driver without one.
More disconcerting is when the Prowler hears someone talking on the street, in a restaurant or in line at the movies and starts to respond, only to discover the person is talking into a tiny portable phone. Are all those conversations necessary, or are people just trying to look important?
Those who looked away from the phone last week may have seen a bright green parakeet perched on the windowsill at Soles shoe store downtown. After several attempts, owner Heidi Rehbock captured it. She bought a cage, some food and a toy for the bird and says she will keep it at the store until somebody claims it.
Better not tell the Prowler's new green-eyed feline friend.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, June 26, 1996.
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