The Miller Report 10032024

 Good morning, spooky storytellers!

October is here, and the leaves are falling faster than a chicken trying to outrun the neighbor’s goat. Speaking of chickens and goats, has anyone else noticed they seem to be plotting something together? I caught mine huddled up like they're working on an escape plan—or maybe just planning their Halloween costumes. I can see it now: chicken as the ghost, goat as the vampire. Boo! 🐓🦇

Before the animals take over, here’s today’s lucky lotto numbers: 12, 19, 24, 36, 42, 7. Play them wisely—just make sure the goat doesn’t eat your ticket!

 • Across my desk
 
 A Russian research team known as the Kosmopoisk Group claims to have found a one-inch screw embedded inside a rock that is 300 million years old. They say the screw is the remains of an ancient form of technology.
The stone containing the 'screw' (pictured) was found in the Kaluga region in Russia and is said to be 300 millions years old by the team of UFO and paranormal researchers who found it.

Clayton Forno
It's not a s c r e w...it's a crinoid!
Ron Graham
I find it sad that people post this stuff and people believe it.

I'm so sick of ugly. I am not talking about physical look. I'm talking about ugly hearts, ugly souls, and ugly actions.

In a time when they tell you to buy electric and vote to ban gasoline powered items, remember what is fueling your generators and making things run.

The amount of people that don’t realize all of the media they consume is lying to them is baffling!

Sunset grill, Watertown, Ct - some of my autographed paperbacks will be available at the craft show Oct 6th.



 • Game of the Week --- your chance to win a prize ...

Campfire Geometry
At the campsite, Jack is preparing for an autumn campfire with his friends. He arranges stones in a perfect circle around the fire pit with a radius of 3 feet. He needs to wrap a copper wire around the circumference of the stone circle to hold up a lantern. If π is approximately 3.14, how much copper wire does Jack need?

First player to send your correct solution to Post a Comment, your name will be placed on the Game of the Week leaderboard.

 • S’mores with a Twist – Classic graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, but upgrade with peanut butter cups, caramel squares, or flavored marshmallows (like pumpkin spice or toasted coconut).

 • Now, I present to you this week's amazing story!!  Enjoy.

The Harvest Festival Mystery:
The Case of the Missing Scarecrow

The annual Southington Harvest Festival was just days away, and the excitement was building in the air. Vendors were setting up booths, pumpkins lined the streets, and the scent of fresh apple cider lingered over the town square. But this year, something was terribly wrong. The beloved centerpiece of the festival, Harold the Scarecrow, had gone missing.

Now, Harold wasn’t just any old scarecrow. He had been a fixture of the Harvest Festival for as long as anyone could remember. Every year, Harold stood proudly in the town square, decked out in flannel and overalls, with his straw-stuffed arms outstretched, ready to welcome festival-goers. But this year, Harold was gone, and chaos was quickly descending on Southington.

Enter our heroes: Matt, the unofficial mayor of festival spirit, and his best friend, Gina, who was more interested in the corn maze than the mystery. “Who would want to steal Harold?” Gina asked, trying to balance a caramel apple and a pumpkin spice latte in one hand while staring at the empty post where Harold once stood.

“That’s exactly what we’re going to find out,” Matt replied, cracking his knuckles like a detective in a movie (even though he’d never solved a mystery in his life). “We’ll crack this case wide open!”

They decided to start by interviewing the usual suspects. Their first stop? Old Man Jenkins, the grumpy pumpkin grower who was always complaining that Harold took attention away from his prized gourds.

“You think I’d steal that glorified straw puppet?” Jenkins barked, wiping dirt from his overalls. “Harold’s a festival tradition. Besides, if I wanted attention, I’d roll out my 300-pound pumpkin, not take some scarecrow!”

Matt and Gina exchanged glances. Jenkins didn’t seem like the type to go for petty scarecrow theft. They moved on.

Next, they visited Mrs. Thompson, the town’s most enthusiastic knitter and self-proclaimed Scarecrow Fashion Consultant. She was known for knitting Harold’s annual scarf and hat ensemble, so they thought she might have insight into his disappearance.

“Steal Harold? Why would I do that?” Mrs. Thompson asked, adjusting her glasses as she furiously crocheted a pair of mittens. “I’ve been knitting his fall wardrobe for months! Without him, who’s going to wear this stunning pumpkin-orange scarf? No, darlings, Harold’s gone missing, and Southington is a fashion disaster without him.”

Strike two.

As the day wore on, Matt and Gina were no closer to finding Harold, and Gina was more interested in sneaking a second caramel apple than solving the mystery. Just when they were about to give up and head to the corn maze, they spotted something suspicious.

“There!” Matt shouted, pointing to the far side of the field where the hayrides were being prepped. In the distance, they saw Harold—or at least, something that looked like Harold—sitting atop a pile of hay bales.

They sprinted across the field, dodging pumpkins and confused festival-goers, only to find Harold perched happily on the back of a tractor, surrounded by kids laughing and climbing on him.

“Wait a minute,” Gina panted. “Harold’s not missing… he’s just been… relocated?”

It turned out that the festival organizers had moved Harold to the hayride area for "maximum festival exposure," but forgot to tell anyone. The kids loved having him as part of the hayride attraction, and he had become an instant hit.

“Well,” Matt sighed, trying to regain his composure, “looks like the mystery’s solved. Harold’s just been moonlighting as a hayride mascot.”

Gina shrugged and bit into her second caramel apple. “At least we know where he is. Now, how about that corn maze?”

As they walked back toward the festival, Matt grinned. “You know, we may not be the world’s greatest detectives, but we did crack the case.”

“And all it took was running through half the town, interrogating a pumpkin farmer, and nearly being trampled by hayrides,” Gina added with a smirk. “Next time, we let someone else handle the scarecrow mysteries.”

With Harold safely returned to his post, and the Harvest Festival in full swing, Southington breathed a sigh of relief. The festival was saved, the mystery was solved, and Matt and Gina had earned a new title: Southington’s (semi-competent) scarecrow detectives.

---

"Are you ready to venture into the unknown? 'Street Tales' by Joseph Miller offers a thrilling journey through thirteen chilling short stories that explore the realms of murder, the paranormal, and the otherworldly. Each tale is crafted to keep you hooked from the first page to the last. If you're a fan of gripping narratives and eerie atmospheres, 'Street Tales' is the perfect read for you. Get your copy today and uncover the secrets that await!"

"Street Tales" by Joseph Miller
Now available on Amazon Kindle and paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D94X4F8Q

---

Coming soon!!

A Collection of Intrigue – Get swept away in "After Dark" where each item—a chef's knife, a stack of books, a bottle of ‘All Day Rosé’—leads Detective Jack Dark and Emily Harper deeper into a world of romance, suspense, and danger.

----


Please take a swing by my author's page to see what's new.

https://warlockpublishing.com/joseph-miller-author/joseph-miller


---------------


Well, that's all I have for you today.

Thanks for dropping by!

As we roll into October, I hope you’re taking full advantage of the cool breezes, golden leaves, and pumpkin-flavored everything. 🍁

I’ve been spending my afternoons watching the chickens get spooked by the wind—every gust sends them running in dramatic circles, while the goats stare in judgment from the fence line. Nothing like fall farm entertainment!

If you’re looking for a fall escape, consider a trip to New Hampshire, where the trees are turning into a painter’s palette of reds and oranges. Nothing says "autumn bliss" like a scenic drive with a mug of hot cider waiting at the end!

Until next Thursday,
Best wishes,

Joe Miller