We are just about to lock the gate a leave the old Box "R" all tucked in for the winter. Latoya and Kioni are calling to say it is 65 degrees and "cold" in Jamaica. "Cookie" John headed out in early October. Newlywed's Pat and Jenny Zoller located a cute place on Gabe's Road not far from Carolyn and Larry's place in Pavillion and we'll try to get a mailing address for them on the website soon. Tyler and Joey headed out as soon as we got most of the main cavvy of horses moved. Joey to NY and Tyler back up near Great Falls, MT. Eddie headed out for NY via friends along I-90 and we haven't heard yet just where he'll cabin up for the winter.

Secretary Terri Sellers has the Box "R" office moved to a cuddly little shack next to our Ehman Lane House in Pinedale. All phones, faxes, messages and emails will be disseminated from there. No numbers or addresses will change at all. Irv and Robin have made plans to be caretakers of Bobby and Sally Lozier's little ranch near Pavillion and close to Jock and Chera, Cannon and Irelynn Campbell, for the winter.

We have a beautiful ranch leased in Crowheart, Wyoming for a lot of our horses and winter livestock provisions (Old Timers Ralph & Eileen and their son Dale Urbikit's ranch). Crowheart is directly across from the Box "R" and a the foot of the eastern slope of the Wind River Mountains.

If you have time, Goggle "Crowheart Butte"? It is a fascinating story about "Crowheart" got its name.  A famous Shoshone Indian Chief Washakie, lending his absolute courage and sacrifice to draw a perimeter around his Tribe's hunting grounds, killed a Crow Indian Chief near the "Butte" and eating the victim's heart as a way of warning the Crow Warrior's not to go there and hunt on this land nor pillage his people anymore.

                              Crowheart Butte

We have added nearly 25 new horses to the cavvy, some of them are extremely well broke as true cattle ranch horses, some are fancy colored and still well very trained.
            
There is no snow here on the ground at the Box "R" Ranch yet, but it was 1 degree this morning. Sharp cold and clear skies. The willows up and down the creek have turned a deep dark purple in their dormant stage and winter colors. We've seen as many as 14 moose around the ranch the last few weeks. One beautiful "mommy cow" lives by Irv and Robin's house and has 2 darling calves traveling at her side. The Mule Deer have been streaming out of the mountains and the Antelope have all left the lush pastures of the Box "R", for their lowland Desert winter ranges.

We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful guests for taking the time and money out of busy schedules and deflated bank accounts, to come visit us here at the Lozier's Box "R" Ranch. A special and very sincere thank you goes to our 2009 returning guests. The highest return rate we had ever reached before this summer was 52.6 %. Would you believe we hit 73.2% this past summer 2009? Without You Folks,
The Box "R" Ranch would most likely have had to close its doors. So far, we are looking at a better business season in 2010, than we had in 2009, with about 20% of our cabins already booked.

We have some great plans for 2010. We are running 2 "Elite Weeks" (special horsemanship and cattle cutting/roping weeks)? We also have already booked some high country pack trips and will be offering these trips on both a "custom' basis and "join a group trip" basis from late June through early September.

For some of you folks who want to do both and finish a Wyoming Ranch vacation with a 3 or 5 day mountain pack trip vacation, we will be offering this "extended option" from Monday July 12th to Friday August 20th, 2010. All combination trips will depart on Mondays and return on a Wednesday or Friday (3 or 5 days)? The three-day trips are $900.00 and the 5-day trips are $1500.00. Any visiting guest who wants to extend their stay will save $100.00 on the 3 day and save $200.00 on the 5-day trip?

If our winter bookings go well, we hope to add a new gift shop and relaxation center back behind the campfire area, on the south side of the parking lot. Our relaxation center may have a hot tub, Jacuzzi and a water message table, like you'd find in a spa or message center. One room will offer at least 3 desks with upgraded computers and a printer for guest use, a TV and 120 channel Sirius Radio Satellite receiver, and phones of coarse? 0ur plans to start a couple of new fishing ponds have had to be left idle, as the summer season was only about 65% of a normal summer and we are just feeling thankful we could pay the bills. We did get some badly needed new fence at the N. end of the big wrangle pasture.

New down comforters are planned for our opening in the spring. Several new saddles and new horses will be here to better fit you cowgirls and cowboys, coming to join us as we lope through the fantastic country and help work and move cows at neighboring ranches all over the Upper Green River Valley?

Our Son Levi and his Partner Shawn Choate are developing a plan to try to buy the cabinet business, where they both have worked the last several years. It is one of the larger employers in Pinedale, if you don't count the Oil Companies and the various Branches of local and Federal government?
I hope Garrett can come up to the Box "R" and be my sidekick for a bit?

Randy and Debee Miller have there main house all roughed in and are preparing to spend another winter up Cove Canyon at the Box "R"? She works at Bucky's Outdoors (Snow machines and big boy toys). Randy is driving a gravel hauling semi in the Oil patch, until winter sets in?

I guess I will try to close by again saying thank you for being our friends and admirers of the Box "R". We would have disappeared from the Willow Creek Valley, if it were not for all our good neighbors, friends and 100's of wonderful guests who still take time out of their busy lives to come visit us now and then or refer others to do so. Thank You All and may God Bless you all with good health, a great winter and a bright and prosperous 2010?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Too!
For All the Crew and Helpers at the
Lozier' s Box "R" Guest Ranch
Irv and Robin Lozier
Pat and Jenn Zoller
Terri Sellers