The ANTecdote
Planting good ants in Ashland
Beautiful Ashland River on our stroll through town Our beautiful drive took us north from the Bay Area through the rolling hills of northern California, past a cloud-camouflaged Mt. Shasta and into the lush small town of Ashland, Oregon. Ashland has made its mark as playing host to the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival and we feel quite strongly that if the Bard himself checked out these pants, there would certainly be a sonnet or two dedicated to the wonderfulness of Red Ants Pants. We didn’t have enough time to take in a play, sadly, but instead connected with farming women at a house party. We were so lucky to have two hosts in Ashland and great thanks to Melina and Aiyana for the pants party! And for making room in their busy harvesting schedules for us! Our party fell on the eve before the huge Tuesday morning farmers market. These pants can't wait to get some dirt on 'em! Our intimate party was made quite lively due to Melina’s adorable three year old son and his excitement during the RAP slideshow and his dance moves! We laughed and snacked on homemade cornbread while Elin swayed to Dolly Parton’s “Working 9 to 5”. Two of our party guests have a very special relationship–a mother daughter duo who now have the Red Ants Pants! Leslie, the mom, runs the farm where Aiyana and her fiancée (who also wears RAPs) live and work. And check out just how great they both look in their RAPs. lRAPs for you and your mom! As rain began to fall on the truck, we left our new Ashland friends and headed north to get a few miles under our belts (did you know that we have Red Ants Pants belts?) before our long drive to Seattle. Our Tuesday Seattle stop includes a visit to the factory where your most favorite pants are made and a house party with Student Conservation Association crew leaders and alumni!
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Women Are Building California
Cari all smiles with her new pants! We just wrapped up a busy weekend in Oakland, attending the 9th Annual Women Building California conference. It was a whirlwind weekend in the Bay Area–between the conference and our stints at playing tourists in the big city. We were so happy to connect with some pretty darn tough, hardworking (and, we might add, very fun-loving) women. This was our second appearance at the conference. Last year we made the trek all the way down to Los Angeles (and yes, in case you were wondering, it was a shock to us Montana gals!) to attend the conference and meet with all different tradeswomen. This statewide conference is unique in that it brings together all the different types of trades–from pile drivers to electricians–under one roof to celebrate, educate and inspire working women. In the trades, women only make up 2% of the workforce. And last year, we were so thrilled to show these women that finally there’s a company that makes workwear just for them! And by women too! We had so many wonderful supporters, so at this year’s conference, it was incredible to reconnect with familiar faces and also meet new women working in the Bay Area. But, it was a true eye-opener on the status of our economy and job front. So many of these women are not working. They’ve been laid off in the last year. Quite a different one year makes. And, of course, these women are determined to not allow the recession to knock them down. So, these women are looking at other ways to stay engaged–they’re attending classes on green building and their positive outlook on the job front is guiding them into leadership positions with their unions. These women are smart, and talented and they know that in order to ride out this difficult time, they have to stay positive and stick together. Fun times and friends at the reception And we were more than impressed with the support they’ve shown Red Ants Pants for the past two years. As much as we hear on the news or read in the newspapers about the millions who’ve lost their jobs, sometimes it’s overwhelming to hear the tough news, but after a weekend spent around these women who’ve faced adversity in so many ways, and now to have lost their jobs, we’re confident it’s their attitude and strength that will rebuild the economy and most certainly with these women, rebuild California. The conference took place during the day so at night, we took full advantage of exploring the city. And luckily, the conference ended early on Sunday, so our dear new friends Rachel and Robin played tour guide and showed us San Fransisco. We first met Rachel, an electrician, at least year’s conference. And not only is Rachel one hell of a fun lady to be a round, she’s also made a RAP first. Have you heard about our ‘Where’s Your Ant Challenge’? The ‘Where’s Your Ant Challenge’ refers to the single ant label sewn on each pair of pants. And the ant is sewn in a different location on every pair and if you find your matching ant on a women (or man) wearing their RAPs, then you get a free RAP t-shirt. As much as we love getting to know our customers, we also think it’s important that our customers get to know each other too. Connect, it’s a good thing. Rachel showing off her matching ant Well, Rachel found a matching ant. Just not with another person. But herself. Rachel loved Red Ants Pants so much that she bought a second pair and guess what? Yep, matching ant with her second pair. Matching ants aside, Rachel and Robin were quite possibly the best tour guides and we ate and walked around the city, thankful that RAP has taken us to so many wonderful places around the country and introduced us to so many wonderful and beautiful people too! For two women who really, really enjoy small towns, we did manage to have a good bit of fun in Oakland and San Francisco! And now, Tour de Pants rolls on north to Ashland, Oregon to meet with local farmers. See, work–either working with your hands in the dirt or pounding nails is a good, good thing.
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Hold my beer and watch this split!
Tour de Pants made its first stop on Wednesday in Portland. For this tour, since it involves us traveling to urban areas, we made a decision to travel a bit lighter. No AntHill. And no Nellie. Nellie, Sarah’s beloved cattle dog and occasional ant eater needed a bit of a break from the road. So she’s home with the cat, Magpie, and the new chickens, Parsley, Sage and Rosemary. And why not the trailer? Well, the wonderfully aging Airstream is not the easiest rig to navigate through multi-lane highways and busy, city traffic. Remember: we live in rural Montana. The only traffic is when there are cattle drives through town. So we decided that for just this once, and just this week, we’d ride a bit easier without our trademark trailer and home on wheels. Our host and her friends showing off all those side pockets! We drove (a lot faster now without towing the Anthill) across Idaho and into the beautiful Columbia River Gorge to Portland. Our first party of this OR/CA/WA tour was a huge success with new friends–great women of the Portland area who will use their RAPs in the building trades and working trail crew on the Pacific Crest Trail. Our delightful host, Marenda, invited an incredible group of women to her colorful home for a beautiful spring evening house party. Many of the guests are recent graduates of the Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. programs. And we were happy to hear that one woman was thrilled to find that our RAPs don’t have annoying rivets or a waistband that will slip off her hips with her tool belt. Not only were our new Portland friends excited to wear their pants at their job sites or in the woods, but one guest demonstrated her gymnastic ability and the range of motion from the gusseted crotch by performing the splits in her Red Ants Pants in Marenda’s living room. This was a first. And most certainly impressive! The very flexible Sonja in her new RAPs And in the small world of the Red Ants Pants culture, one of the guests was good friends with our Arcata party host, Greta, from last spring’s coastal tour. Greta, who also had a RAP first by milking her goats during her party, raved to her friend, Kira, about Red Ants Pants, so when Kira moved from California to Portland, she was shocked to learn that her friend Marenda was hosting a pants party. Again, Red Ants Pants is honored to connect women from all over the country with each other. Our Portland experience was so wonderful–we stayed with Sarah’s aunt who toured us around the city, including important stops to Powell’s Books and a long hike though the stunning and lush Forest Park. For two girls who’ve endured a long, cold and snowy spring in Montana, the bright greens and blooming flowers only adds, beautifully, to our visit. Thank you to our new Portland friends! With great thanks to Marenda and her friends for their support and for hosting such a fun party, we left Portland and headed south to Eugene to catch up with another member of Sarah’s family. From Eugene we make the descent into California to Oakland where we’ll be attending, for the second year, the Women Building California conference. We can’t wait to reconnect with our supporters from last year and see how their pants have faired after a year of hard work in the trades.
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A Beer Sponsor for Workpants?
And the answer, proudly, is yes! And we are beyond thrilled that Big Sky Brewery, out of Missoula, is our beer sponsor. In the spring of 2008, they caught wind of our RAP YouTube commercial and called up Sarah wanting to partner with Red Ants Pants. The perfect partnership? We do travel around the country with Tour de Pants so what would be better than also bring women good beer from Montana as well?! Thus the combination of Red Ants Pants and Big Brewing Company was born. Not only can we deliver the goods on workwear for women, but we can also bring our party guests some very wonderful beer out of our very wonderful home state. So for those of you who haven’t yet had the luxury of attending a Red Ants Pants house party, be sure you do because not only do you connect with us but you also get to drink good beer as you try on pants and meet new folks in your community. We like to keep it rather simple: find a good pair of pants that fit that allow you to get your job done, and then after a long, hard days work, you owe it to yourself to sip on a cold, tasty refreshment. “I was really excited to work with other liked-minded Montana businesses. We might not be directly related–workpants and beer–but we have the opportunity to connect and partner it’s not only a strong business practice but we also have a ton of fun too. That’s what we do best here in Montana. Work hard. Play hard. Thank you Trinda and the crew at Big Sky for their support,” commented Sarah. Party guests in Idaho enjoying their Big Sky brews We’ve been lucky to introduce folks all over the country to Big Sky’s most famous and iconic beer, Moose Drool, and we never hesitate when our lovely contact at Big Sky, Trinda, asks if we need more beer for the road. We think you probably know the answer to that one. Big Sky’s been brewing beer in Missoula since the mid-1990s and in 2006 they were ranked near the top 50 largest breweries in the United States. They also employ around 40 folks, so we like that this Montana operation not only provides our beer nourishment but provides great people with great jobs! Sarah really likes the classic Moose Drool. Maggie prefers their Scapegoat Pale and when winter rolls around for this ski bum, she’s most certainly sippin’ on their Powder Hound Winter Ale. And sadly in Montana there’s an extreme lack of glass recycling so we’re both thrilled when Big Sky began putting Moose Drool and Trout Slayer in cans. Perfect for the river and other summer adventures but also recyclable! So as the second edition of the spring tour begins, we’re heading to Missoula to pick up our beer and head west along the stunning Columbia River to Portland! We look forward to once again gettin’ ladies in our pants and also giving them a cold Big Sky brew too.
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RAP and Two Other Montana businesses highlighted in the Billings Gazette
We’re honored that we were one of three Montana businesses featured in “Thinking Outside the Big Box” from the Billings Gazette. The article takes a look at three different Montana entrepreneurs who’ve avoided the distribution trap and stayed true to their customers by not taking their products to chain stores like Walmart, but instead, controlled the distribution and sales on their own. The article was prompted by the release of a Montana State University-Billings professor’s new book, The Distribution Trap, that aims to teach entrepreneurs how to succeed without giant retailers. The piece not only discusses the successes of Red Ants Pants but also of Billings based company, Red Oxx Manufacturing and Natural Baby Co from Bozeman. The great news is that all three of us have instinctively taken this advice in our businesses practices. And most certainly with Red Ants Pants, our direct customer experience will not change. We want you to come visit us in White Sulphur Springs and spend time in our historic shop. And don’t even think for one minute that we’d pass up an opportunity to hitch up AntHill (our Airstream trailer) and tour across the country to connect with all of our supporters and friends! So, like the different types of women’s bodies we’ve aimed to fit in our workpants, there are many different ways to run a business. We like being a small company. We like that you can’t find our pants in any retail store, small or large. We like that you can meet us, drink some good beer with us, and connect over a campfire in the cool November air of Wisconsin or dance all night to your friend’s band in their living room. And we’re are most, most grateful that you’ve allowed us into your homes and lives and shown us that this grassroots approach to sellin’ pants works! And we’re quite proud that this professor chose us and two other impressive Montana businesses to set as an example for his new book! Once again, good stuff comin’ out of this Big Sky state.
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Earthships and Blacksmiths
The "mudders" filling in the tires. Check out those pants! Pounding tires and drinkin’ beer is what we had in store for us on Tuesday in Stevensville. Our first agenda item for our Stevensville stop was to meet with Gretchen Langton, a local massage therapist and women with an incredible home building dream. Gretchen grew up in the Bitterroot Valley and left Montana for a bit, her travels leading her to teach at the University of Oregon and then returning home to the Bitterroot to build on her family’s land. Her home is no ordinary home. She’s constructing an Earthship, a home that’s build from re-used materials. Re-used materials are different from recycled materials. Recycling of goods requires processing. Gretchen’s using old tires, soda cans and glass bottles in their retired states to build her home. We lent a hand with the smashing tire process. This is not an easy nor speedy process. Gretchen has no set timeline for the completion for her house, and after an hour of work, we began to understand the depth of her dream and also admire her patience. So, smashing tires? The walls of the house are formed by tires that are filled with dirt. Our job? Stack and fill the tires with dirt and then with a sledgehammer, pound the tire until it’s rock-hard and full of dirt. And to line the bottom of the tires, Gretchen uses the empty grain bags from the local brewery, Blacksmith Brewing Company. We were fortunate to have Missoulian reporter Betsy Cohen on-hand to write a story about the partnership. Check out the front page story here. It’s a well-written piece on Sarah and Red Ants Pants and Gretchen’s huge and important undertaking. Gretchen (r) and her cousin, Julie (l) at the brewery. And when we first arrived to Gretchen’s land, which has been in her family since 1887, we were so excited to see a woman working in her Red Ants Pants! We connected with Gretchen through her friend Kimmi who thought it’d be a perfect partnership with RAP. Kimmi and her husband, Rob, met Sarah a few months ago when they stopped in White Sulphur for a job interview at a local ranch. With several friends and workers at the job site, we spent a few hours alongside the “mudders”–this is not a technical term but more of a description of the task. Take mud and slap it between the tires and then add pop cans to fill up any space in between the layers. It’s a dirty job but a fun one. Or so thought Maggie after sledging away for an hour on one tire… Although we would have liked to stay longer to finish more tires and graduate to the “mudder” position, Kimmi escorted us to the Blacksmith Brewing Company so we could set up for our party. We knew we’d see a tired Gretchen and friends at the brewery later for some post-work refreshments. Our Blacksmith Brewing Company host was the brewery’s manager, Trisha. Trisha welcomed us wholeheartedly into the stunning brewery. Many of you in Montana and elsewhere may not have heard of this damn fine brewery yet, but you should know about it. And taste their excellent, excellent beers. Kimmi treated all the patrons to a baked potato bar and we set up our racks of pants and goodies. The event was open to the public so we had a great mix of folks who came just to see RAP and others who came to their local hangout but ended up buying pants for their wives at home. Our friend, local EMT, ski patroller and fly fishing guide, Eddie. Perhaps it was the beer or perhaps we had some bold men on hand, but we had several men drop their drawers right in the middle of the bar to try on Red Ants Pants. With beers named Pulaski Porter, anything can happen when the Red Ants Pants gals come to town! We had a great mix of new friends at the brewery and we were overjoyed when longtime friends from Missoula surprised us by making the drive down. Our three great hosts: Gretchen, Kimmi and Trisha organized a great day for us and we were most grateful for their hospitality. And a huge thank you to all the folks at the brewery for all of their support and help! Stevensville was the last stop on our MT/ID/WY tour and it was fabulous night to end the tour on. We believe Montana’s called The Last Best Place not only for the open spaces, the big sky, the stunning mountain ranges, glaciers, wilderness, and free-flowing rivers but also for the people. And we’re just so touched by their goodness. Sarah and friends from Missoula & Stevensville
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You Never Know What's in These Pants
The views from Debbie's home in Jefferon City. One of the many advantages of the this “local” tour is not only to connect with fellow mountain folks, but also from a driving standpoint, it’s relatively a short drive across southwest Montana and the Teton regions of Idaho and Wyoming. So, we took our time leaving Dillon, indulging in a delicious breakfast–all made possible by a group effort–and then a little retail therapy at the Patagonia Outlet. After a lunch of spicy pork tacos at the taco bus, we crossed the Beaverhead River and made our way to Jefferson City, just south of state capital in Helena. Strong Helena women! Our party host, Debbie, connected with Red Ants Pants after she came across us in a clip from the Western Souvenirs section of Via, AAA Companions magazine. Debbie then went to our website, checked out the information on Tour de Pants and wanted to host her own party. So, the Anthill cruised into her neck of the woods, which actually is better described as stunning rolling hills for a night celebrating the women of the Helena area. We are quite jealous of Debbie’s gorgeous 360 degree views from her home. Debbie’s guests and friends are an impressive bunch of women–many are outdoor enthusiasts in varying and wonderful forms. And in the small world of Red Ants Pants, and in the smallness of the world in general, a handful of the party guests were first alerted a few weeks ago when Maggie appeared on stage at Helena’s Myrna Loy Theater to present the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation’s film fundraiser, Telluride’s MountainFilm on Tour. And what would any respectable and stylish presenter wear on stage introducing the organization but Red Ants Pants? If her savvy public speaking skills didn’t capture the audience it was the pants and the many RAP shout-outs as RAP generously donated door prizes. And if you’re a regular reader of the blog, you’ll remember our earlier entry about RAP supporting “The Bob”. Our host Debbie (L) with her guests. The Helena RAP performance by Maggie inspired one audience member, Jane, to introduce herself and learn more about the pants. And as luck would have it, Tour de Pants was rolling through her area the very next week. So, we connected Jane with Debbie, our party host, and again in the small world of connections, Jane knew Debbie and friends. Jane’s also a very special woman. She’s our first customer that we’ve met face-to-face who wears a prosthetic. She lost her leg to cancer but this difficult setback hasn’t held her back. Jane’s a vegetation biologist for the state and also backpacks and mountain bikes–she is not limited by her prosthesis. And in her new RAPs, you can’t even tell she has a prosthetic leg. What an inspiration! The Jefferson City party blended together women of all ages and they connected over pants and savory appetizers. As the sun drifted into the hills, we gathered on Debbie’s deck to take silly and somewhat serious photos of these beautiful women. And we’re quite lucky that Helena is not all that far of a drive from our home in White Sulphur Springs, so there will be many more RAP reunions in the future. Lisa & Kris in their new pants and bamboo shirts The party ended just before 10 pm and Sarah and Maggie loaded up the truck with all the try on pants (we do not travel light, folks) by an near-full moon. With goodbyes given to Debbie and her husband Dean (we believe he was hiding somewhere in the hills with their two dogs during the pants party), we hitched up the Anthill and made our way west over McDonald Pass and slept along the Little Blackfoot River. It’s on Stevensville to lend a hand with a women’s dream home and, of course, sample some local beer.
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Don't Eat the Rabbit Stew-Just Listen and Love!
The very talented Rabbit Stew. Our new friends, Tommy and Ryan, happy to sport RAP! Sunday morning we left our friends in Driggs after omelets and coffee and cruised north on I-15 back into Montana to Dillon. Dillon was the next stop on the tour and typically (and most humbly!) Red Ants Pants tends to steal the spotlight when we roll into town, but this time it was the homebrew keg and our party host’s band, Rabbit Stew. Our Dillon hosts, Amie and Dave, did a fine job of rounding up all their wonderful and musically talented friends to attend the backyard RAP party. Our wonderful host, Amie. Amie could take the cake for one of the most talented women we’ve met. Jill of All Trades is a complete understatement. This wildlife biologist not only plays the standup bass, but also is a home renovator, skilled at woodworking, construction, painting and pottery. She and Dave have a very old house in Dillon and have spent many years pouring their efforts into its beautiful and lively remodel. And Amie also owns several pairs of Red Ants Pants that help her lay floors with wood she recovered from her family’s farmhouse in Nebraska. In the mountain sunshine our guests gathered in the backyard, watching the kids run around in the garden, and the dogs wrestling in springtime excitement. The tasty homebrew keg didn’t last all that long with this group of Dillon folks! We moved inside as night fell and kids, husbands, moms, girlfriends, professors, fly-fishing guides, and hard workin’, fun lovin’ folks made their way to slide show portion of the evenings RAP festivities. Many couples in Dillon will now be sporting their matching RAP pants and apparently our pants have now remedied a flagrant plumber’s crack violation with one Dillon citizen. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, RAP is also improving the health and livelihood in your neighborhood. Our night evolved into a live Rabbit Stew concert and it was well into the wee hours that we carried on, swaying and singing to the band’s versions of some of our favorite songs, including “Wagon Wheel”. Of course we’d like to thank Evan for maintaining the high levels of fun–he was a key factor in the night’s progression. It was a most special evening and we’re so thankful for the impromptu jam session! We stayed up late, laughed our hearts out, and we’re moved by how simple and wonderful a community can be. Good food, good beer, and good friends (especially those who play the fiddle, guitar, bass, banjo, and washboard) all culminate into the fine makings of a most memorable evening. Our sincere thanks to the friends of Dillon. We’ll most certainly return to float the beautiful rivers of the Beaverhead Valley and enjoy a breakfast on the front porch of Amie and Dave’s!
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Hot Pants and Frozen Bananas
We traveled to the other side of the Grand Teton to land in Wilson, WY to visit our good friend Jen for a Saturday afternoon party with her bike riding friends. Jen has just relocated to Bozeman so she returned to Wilson to reconnect with her friends and to introduce them to RAP. Host Jen chasing babies up the stairs As much of a hit our pants were with the women of Wilson, many of whom spent the afternoon on their roadbikes now that the snow has cleared from the roads and the sun was shining brilliantly, the other big hit of the party was homemade chocolate-dipped frozen bananas. Jen’s good friend, Martha, makes delicious banana treats and we all enjoyed the frozen decadence while trying on our chocolate-brown pants. Way to match the party treats to the pants, ladies! Watching the RAP slideshow and learning more about the women who inhabit these gorgeous mountains, we traded ski stories and were all abuzz about gardening, getting more bike rides in and waking up our souls to spring. And we were overjoyed that both our parties in the Teton Valley and the Jackson Hole area have been family affairs! Moms brought their kids to both events and not only do we love getting women perfectly fit into their new workpants, but it does us good to chase around two-year olds, making airplane noises and giving tours of the Anthill. Martha & Shannon in RAP We’re creating a new generation of kids who will grow up surrounded by strong moms and a loving community, and we’re proud to know that in these kids’ lifetimes, there will always be workwear for women. And with sad hearts we leave behind our great friends and newly forged friendships in Driggs and Wilson and head back to Montana for a party in Dillon. Thanks again to our party hosts, Cindy and Jen, for two wonderful events. And huge thanks to longtime friends, Emily and Dave, and Rusty and Anna for their hospitality! Maggie modeling her pants for her friends
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