On the 'Riviere du Plain' - and Juanita

Whew - what a week.

The time period from Dec. 1 to the start of the holiday break at area schools is traditionally one of the busiest in our business. It seems like everyone is rushing around, trying to finish up projects before Christmas vacation hits.

The hustle and bustle isn’t limited to school activities.

• Area groups are gathering food and other items for donation to needy families - ditto for Toys for Tots;
• Carolers, like the CMH Victorian Voices, are bringing good cheer at local events;
• Houses are lit up in preparation for the Chamber's Annual Holiday Home Tour;
• Live Nativity scenes will bring the true meaning of Christmas to area residents this weekend.

And, the list goes on and on.

That's why a road trip through Duplain Township was particularly enjoyable last week. What better way to escape from the jumble of events than by driving along the lovely 'Riviere du Plain?' Even in December, the Maple River provided calm and relaxation to a stressed-out mind and body.

Of course, picking a warm sunny day - like last Wednesday afternoon - was a welcome addition to the Duplain journey.

My first up-close look at Duplain came several years ago when I did a piece for this newspaper on Bob Moore who was honored as the Conservation Farmer of the Year. Probably like many folks from the southwest side of the county, my knowledge of any of the northern tier of townships was limited at best.

My first glimpse of the 'plains' of Duplain in the far northeast section of the township is a picture that is firmly etched in my mind. From the rolling hills that caress the Maple River, this perfectly flat stretch of land suddenly appears - I loved it.

If you haven’t seen Duplain, I suggest you make time and take a ride. It may just be what the doctor ordered to relieve some holiday stress.

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As a sidenote, the Duplain article in this week's CCN will probably be the last road trip of '99. There are some short weeks coming up on the production schedule with Christmas and New Year's Eves falling on Friday - that curtails the amount of 'travel time' for this writer.

We'll start back up in January 2000 - Eagle Township is next on the alphabetical list.

Winding through those roads should be interesting indeed - especially if some snow and ice is part of the mixture.

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I would be remiss if I did comment on another article which appears in this edition of the News. Special thanks to Jean Martin for her wonderful commentary on one of our community landmarks - the Wheel Inn.

Jean captures the essence of the Wheel perfectly. For many of us, Friday nights were not complete during high school years if a stop at the Wheel wasn't included.

As Jean so aptly says, the Wheel is a place where somebody was sure to know your name - and was always glad you came.

On the same subject, I owe a personal debt of gratitude to the driving force behind the Wheel - Juanita O'Leary. She took the time to sit down and talk with me last week about her years at the restaurant.

I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation - especially since it was really a first-time meeting for the two of us. Like everyone else in the community, I've seen Juanita on a pretty regular basis for many years - who doesn’t know that classy and stylish lady who runs the Wheel - but I've never had an opportunity to speak with her one-on-one.

I agree with the assessment made by two of her 'loyal patrons,' Leon Brewbaker and Jeanne Rand whose comments on the Wheel and Juanita add so much to the article - Juanita is one-of-a-kind.

We all owe her a debt of gratitude for the first-class way she ran the Wheel, and for helping put St. Johns on the map.