Linda Vautrin-Hale No time like the present to save your spot for the Master Gardeners Lecture Series, Springtime Gardening in the Desert. This is a new series of talks to be held on Wednesdays in February 2021 via Zoom. Lectures are free. These lectures are designed to resolve basic gardening issues along with gaining new knowledge about…
Generals, November 2020
Did You Know?
Linda Shannon-Hills The SaddleBrooke Ranch HOA provides the residents of the Ranch many services you may not know are available to you. Darcy Riddle is your assistant, located at the front desk in the lobby of La Hacienda Club. She is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to assist with your…
Generals, November 2020
Back to the Garden: Agave: Drama in the Desert
Sheilah Britton The more agaves I discover, the more I feel they represent the theatrical spirit of the desert. With colors ranging from silver and blue to red and green, in stripes and textures, with teeth and hair, their characteristics seem almost human. Species of agave are found in the United States, Mexico, Central America,…
Generals, December 2020, November 2020
Still Time for Christmas and Holiday Gift Ideas
Mark Prose Christmas and the holidays are just around the corner! Still searching for that special gift? Are you looking for unique, artful, and useful gifts? Then check out the display case at the SBR Wood Workers Club (SBRWWC) in the Creative Arts & Technology Center. There is a wide range of useful and artistic…
Generals, November 2020
A Night of Fright
Janelle Authur With traditional Halloween parties on hold this year, thirty-two Unit 8A residents took a Walking Ghost Tour around the Ranch on Oct. 31 as part of the Unit’s “Night of Fright.” The weather was crisp, the stars were out, and the moon was blue—a perfect evening for spine-tingling stories about the Ranch’s resident ghosts, a…
Clubs & Classes, November 2020
Another Award Winning Year for Rotary
Barbara Barr The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke celebrated on October 15 as our Past District Governor, Ellie Patterson, presented our club with the highest award in Rotary International. The prodigious “Presidential Citation” was awarded to our club for the 2019-20 year. The award uses four different levels of recognition. The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke was…
Features, November 2020
Word of the Month: Cool
David Zapatka After reading last month’s WOTM “groovy,” my sister and reader, Debbie Zapatka, wrote, “That was cool, man! Does ‘cool’ have the same sort of history as groovy? A friend at work uses the word groovy all the time.” Sister and reader Judy Haberstroh wrote, “Interesting. The only person I know who still occasionally…
Clubs & Classes, November 2020
Riders Enjoy the Foothills of the Superstition Mountains
Rebecca Williams The Horseback Riding Group enjoyed a beautiful October morning on a ride down the Tanque Verde. Two separate groups rode at separate times to give plenty of social distance. After meeting at the trailhead, the groups entered the wide trail that allowed the horses to spread out and riders could enjoy riding next to…
Sports, November 2020
Relishing Pickleball: Dink Responsibly
David Zapatka Often called the most important shot in all of pickleball, the dink is the critical shot aspiring players must learn to improve their game. The dink is a shot hit slowly and softly into the opponents’ non-volley zone as close to the net as possible. If the opponent hits this ball hard, it…
Generals, November 2020
COVID-19 Vaccine: Good Shot or Long Shot?
Linda Shannon-Hills As we read the news releases about a vaccine ready for deployment, how certain can we be of the effectiveness and safety? There are many things that are still unknown about the first vaccine. How long will it take before everyone has access to the vaccine? Will this vaccine protect us from the deadly…