Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar, as she glides along the woodlands, by the hills, and by the shore.

Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear the lonesome hobo’s call, your traveling through (Climax) on the Wabash Cannonball,” sang out host Joseph Kelly and others as they joined the band of pickers playing music and singing filling the foyer of his home with country, western swing and gospel music as they celebrated fall Saturday Sept. 26, at the annual peanut boiling held at Kelly’s home in Climax.

A large crowd of friends and neighbors shared memories as they ate boiled peanuts, tapped their feet, clapped their hands and sang along with the music of home grown pickers, Gene Powell, Hawaiian steel guitar, of Bainbridge, Barbara Sapp and Lloyd Seals bass guitar, and Ray Boyett rhythm guitar all of Climax. They were joined by John Alderman, Banjo of Dothan, Ala. Henry Rutland Fiddle, of Thomasville, Sandra McCannon Mandolin of Thomasville and Janice Martin Mandolin, of Barwick.

While stirring peanuts in large cookers in his yard, Joseph said he wanted a relaxed atmosphere like his granddaddy Melvin Kelly had many years ago. His granddad didn’t have a fine gas cooker to cook the peanuts in they cooked them in wash pots with wood fires Joseph’s Aunt Dorothy Maxwell remember having to pick the peanuts off the vines after her Dad had plowed them up. Quite a big job compared to today when you can get them with no problems from different places.

As the crowd gathered, his Aunt Luz Musgrove directed the children to the large back yard for games she had going on. The grownups got a large cup of peanuts, a cold drink and headed for the coolness of the house. Not as brave as they were years ago when the gnats would win out as you ate peanuts and slapped the gnats as well as a few mosquitoes that came flying by singing “Cousin, cousin, then after stinging you they would run off singing “no kin, no kin”! This was my Grandmothers explanation of the sound they made as they flew around.

The celebration went on into the night and when all left, Joseph began planning for next fall.

Reporter’s note: A special thank you to Jennifer Searan for taking the pictures for me.