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16 | LIFE IN SOLERA | FEBRUARY 2023 | This & That Ever wonder why riders always mount their horses from the left? The custom began centuries ago when men carried swords. Since most men were are right-handed, the sword was usually carried on the left hip to make it more accessible to the right hand. With a long sword dangling from a rider's left side, it was clearly easier to mount the horse by putting his left foot into the stirrup and throwing his right leg over the horse's back. Even after riders no longer carried swords, mounting from the left remained the custom. Let's stay with the animal talk for a bit… Koalas can sleep up to 18 to 20 hours a day, where as a giraffe only needs about two. Jellyfish and lobsters are biologically immortal. Due to the placement of a donkey's eyes, it can see all four of its feet at the same time. "Hit the hay" has been used since the early 19th century. It originated from the practice of stuffing sacks with hay to make a mattress. This is also the origin of the term, Hit the Sack. Scary poem anyone? Who's sleeping after this poem, be it on a Beautyrest Mattress or hay? (Warning, this poem may be scary to some.) One Dark Morning in the middle of the Night, Two dead stiffs got up to Fight. Back-to-Back they Faced each other. They drew out their swords and stabbed each other. A Deaf policemen Heard the noise and came and Killed The two Dead Boys. ~ By Chalsey Wilder We warned you…. Stayin' Alive or Sprayin' Alive? You make about half a quart (500ml) of spit each day. Your fingernails grow four times as fast as your toenails. Did you know that on Valentine's Day 2014, a group of single men in Shanghai bought every odd-numbered seat for a theater showing of Beijing Love Story. They did this to prevent couples from sitting together as a show of support for single people. Outside of Watson Lake, Yukon, there's a Sign Post Forest. It was started back in 1942 when a soldier named Carl K. Lindley was injured while working on the Alcon Highway. He was taken to the Army air station in Watson Lake to recover, and while he was there, he was homesick, so he decided to place a sign of Danville, Illinois, his hometown. Tourists continued the practice and there are currently about 72,000 signs from around the world. Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for 10 minutes and come out wrinkle free and three sizes smaller? Submitted by The Solera Ghostwriters