Saturday March 2nd Idyll-Beast sighting

 Members of Girl Scout troop 561 reported an unusual encounter at their cookie sale table in front of the Idyllwild Inn. Talk about meeting new customers…. The creature emerged from the forest and asked how many cookies he could take with the crumpled bills he produced from his shag. The young entrepreneurs calculated the Beasts “wad” to be equal in value to 6 boxes of cookies (exercising their sense of fair play) and assisted the animal in selecting an assortment of favorites (solving problems and thinking creatively.) The animal seemed to take a special interest in the peanut butter Do-si-dos and the Thin Mints, but expressed skepticism about one daring youngster’s attempt to foist “mango crèmes” off on him. “Mango crème? What kind of animal eats Mango Crèmes? Give me another box of Caramel DeLites!” The budding sales person explained that mango crèmes are filled with “NutriFusion” enhanced with nutrients from fruits, and the animal agreed to experiment. These beastettes are without a doubt learning skills and showing the confidence and team work that will serve them well in the future.

When asked what he would do with all those cookies the Idyll-Beast explained that he was going to feed people. “People feed the squirrels and blue jays for fun. I find feeding people relaxes me. If you stand completely still they come right up and take them out of your paw!”

The scouts did not allow the Beast to return into the forest without first “signing” autographs. These youngsters have definitely earned their “patches” in Cryptozoology; the Idyllwild troop is the first known to have sold cookies to a crypto-hominid.

They even invited him to join the troop. At a loss to explain to the girls why he couldn’t be a girl scout also, he suggested that maybe a Heidi Beast back at the Research Center might adopt the troop. Indeed, the Girls Scouts and the Idyll-Beast Research Center would both benefit from collaboration. We respect any group the sends small animals scurrying through the woods distributing boxes of snacks to winter-distressed villagers. They are like little saint Bernards.

Sources at the Chamber of Commerce confirm that no Chamber of Commerce funds were “embezzled” to buy the treats.

In an unrelated story, local musician David Jerome reported “probably about $30” missing from his tip jar at the end of his Saturday morning 9-12 gig at Café Aroma. “One of the servers reported a huge, shaggy, lumbering creature lurking around the jar. I’ll have to have a word with Vince Day. Enough is enough.”