Keeping yourself safe is the theme for the March SBR Lecture Series

So you have now moved in and are settling into a new environment. Many of us are new to Arizona and really enjoy the fine weather and the beauty of the mountains. But when it comes to understanding and dealing with the other inhabitants of our environment, particularly rattlesnakes, it can bring up a lot of questions. Are the rattlesnakes here in SaddleBrooke Ranch or has all the construction chased them away? If they are here, where might you find them? If you meet up with one of these more fearsome residents of the area, what should you do? And how do you protect your pets?

Tuesday, March 10, at 2:30 p.m. – Tips to keep you and your pets safe when outdoors

Jay Smith, dog trainer and owner of “Dogs at the River” dog training will be at the La Mesa room at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, to discuss both the myths and realities of living with rattlesnakes for both you and your pets. Jay is an expert in working with rattlesnakes and other poisonous animals that live with us here in the desert. He will provide a wealth of information on what to do if you encounter a rattlesnake in your home, yard or while hiking. He will discuss their habits, their needs, and why they are important to our environment. He will also discuss what you need to do to protect yourself and your pets from encounters with rattlesnakes.

After the remarks, Jay will also take us outside to the north parking area for an “up close and personal” encounter with some of his defanged rattlers so you can familiarize yourself with both the look and the sound of a live rattlesnake. Jay also welcomes pet owners to take the opportunity to re-check their dogs for the correct response to a rattlesnake.

This talk has become an annual event here at SaddleBrooke Ranch, and yet people comment that they always learn something new about living in our desert environment. This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.

Thursday, March 26, at 5:00 p.m. – Tips to stay safe from computer malware, viruses and hackers

After getting some tips on staying safe in the outdoor environment, our second topic for March will move inside to discover how to keep you and your computer safe from hackers, malware, viruses and the like. There is so much discussion these days about security and trying to keep personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Computer expert Richard Beatty will be here to discuss the steps you should take .to reduce these threats, how you can detect if you have a problem and what to do in the event you encounter these problems.

Richard is both a webmaster and computer expert, having taught many of the computer classes at SaddleBrooke over the years. You are sure to gain some helpful insights for keeping your internet searches, email and personal information safe. Richard will be speaking on Thursday, March 26, at 5:00 p.m. in the La Mesa room.

The SBR Lecture Series presents topics of local interest twice monthly. If you have ideas for other topics you find of interest, please contact Linda Shannon-Hills, Jean Morgan or Rebecca Williams of the SBR Lecture Series Committee. Their email addresses are in the resident information on the SBR HOA website’s directory.