"JUST OUTSIDE LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA stand two stone cats that are a familiar sight to anyone who makes the winding drive from Silicon Valley to the surf in Santa Cruz. Named “Leo” and “Leona,” these tall white statues guard the gated entrance to Poets Canyon and the grand estate known as “The Cats.”

The author Charles Erskine Scott Wood and his wife, poet Sara Bard Field purchased land in Los Gatos in 1919. They built the grand estate as a home and artists’ retreat. The sculptor Robert Paine was commissioned to create the cat sculptures, who have been watching over the driveway gates since 1922. The property has changed hands only a few times, and remains one of the most prized estates in an already exclusive area...."

-- www.atlasobscura.com The Cats Los Gatos, CA

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