Photo byAnnie SprattonUnsplash

Once upon a time in the dazzling state of Alabama, also known as AL, there roamed a jazzy, jiggly, jellybean named Jelly Joe. Jelly Joe was no ordinary jellybean, he was a rock climbing aficionado with a knack for making kids giggle and wiggle. With his candy-coated might, he encouraged Alabama's youngsters to embrace the topsy-turvy world of rock climbing. Now, these weren't your ordinary kids. Oh no, these were Alabama's finest, the bravest and most daring young adventurers from Mobile to Huntsville and Birmingham to Montgomery. They had a passion for turning a mountain into a molehill, for seeing a rock wall as a ladder to the moon. They weren't scared of a few scrapes and scratches. Heck, they wore their band-aids like badges of honor. Their knuckles might have been bruised, but their spirits were never broken. And boy, how they loved rock climbing! They adored the thrill of the climb, the rush of reaching the top, and the victory dance they did with Jelly Joe, high up on the mountain peaks. Their laughter echoing around Alabama could melt the marshmallows in your hot cocoa. Rock climbing wasn't just a pastime for these Alabama kids, it was their sweet escape, their adrenaline-fueled adventure. There was never a dull moment in Alabama the heart of Dixie, thanks to Jelly Joe and his rock-climbing troupe. The sun was always a little bit brighter, the sweet tea a tad bit sweeter, and the laughter a whole lot louder. Thanks to rock climbing, these kids had turned the everyday into an extraordinary escapade. Life was never the same once you’d scaled a mountain with a jellybean!