So have you ever noticed that Koala Bears never seem to catch a cold?  Ever wonder why that is?

That’s a pretty important thing to know now that we are in the winter cold and flu season.  Having recently recovered from the mother of all colds, and constantly hearing people hacking and sneezing during the day, I’ve been sensitized to information on this subject.

Astute reader Peter, who I believe has spent some time in Australia, inadvertently put me on to this recently when he suggested I might do a character based on the Eucalyptus tree.  Good idea, Peter.

As I was researching the Eucalyptus tree, I stumbled on to this symbiotic fact — more or less — that Koala bears never catch colds.  That’s because they hang out in eucalyptus trees and eat eucalyptus leaves.  Eucalyptus trees are chock full of those little wax paper twisty end wrapped menthol eucalyptus cough drops (that’s actually where Halls harvests them, I think).

Scientifically speaking, the menthol eucalyptus oils and vapors bifurcate through the twisty ends of the cough drops through a process known as eucalyptus osmosis and permeate the leaves and the Koala bears who are eating them.

So it’s impossible for the little bears to catch a cold.  I realize some of you may find this a bit of a stretch — but to my original point — have you ever heard a Koala bear cough or sneeze?

I rest my case.

Actually, I may have made some of this up — but stay tuned for Eucalyptus Part Deux — which may be somewhat more factual.

It turns out that Eucalyptus trees are pretty amazing after all.

To be continued – and have a nice day - J. Daniel

P.S. Sorry Halls if I divulged a trade secret.