"Another Day in Paradise ehh!??"

...says the plaid pants clad, cute old man walking his rat dog on the hot pavement of a swanky Phoenix RV Park. We opted out of the 10am shuffleboard game, avoided knife carving at 11am and instead basked in the 72 degree heat and relaxed a bit before heading east. Hot hot hot...

"Living the dream" and soaking up Vitamin D every minute we could, the crew drove Highway 60 East to Show Low, AZ. A trip down memory lane for Sarah... we were stoked (wicked hungry & SUPER thirsty for a cold BudLight) when a well-lit saloon caught our eye. Making quick friends with Cyndi the bartender, Ryan the local guitarist, & Jace the owner... thanks to all three for a grand time! After supper we hit the ACTUAL bar... and basically tore up the linoleum with jukebox tunes, two-step moves & a helluva lot of laughter. With our rig resting at a nearby church parking lot, the stumble was an easy one to our cozy beds.

Sarah to Phoenix, Em to Driggs!

With the Jackson Hole/Driggs region on the schedule to finale our tour - a subsequent beer & pants drop was deemed ABSOLUTELY necessary! So while Em took one Toyota to Driggs for a small layover, Sarah drove solo (with Nellie of course!) in the apt-named Little-Toyota-That-Could to the sunny southwest!! Watch out Cattlemen Convention - here she comes!!

Thank you to John & Terry Hansen for the exhibitor sponsorship at the Cattlemen Convention! We are oh so thankful for your goodness, support & friendship... sure look forward to seeing you there!

Working Girls UNITE - Port Angeles, WA

With blue skies & the Olympics with new snow - the Olympic Cellar's Winery opened their doors to the Red Ants Pants Roadshow! With two articles in the Peninsula Daily News, we estimate over 75 folks attended the Friday evening event! A record 17 pairs of pants were sold, along with a fabulous connection Olympic Cellar's signature Working Girl Red label ruling the evening festivities!! Thank you to Kathy, Libby & Molly for your inspiration & support!! We will be serving Working Girl Wine at our houseparties from here on out!! With Em's family representing the local scene - it was a family reunion of sorts as well, sending heaps of love to each of you for your hugs & support! Needless to say pulling out of town was bittersweet for both of us. xoxo

Airstream finds the sun in LaConner, WA

The Airstream took it's first ferry - and of course made many friends in the process! Before we could even escape the confines of the Toyota's cab, Sarah had given away at least three business cards to curious individuals & WSF employees to boot! Upstairs, our jackets attracted more attention... and it took awhile to even make it to the top deck where ferry boat captain(s) had a helluva time sitting on the fog horn - causing us to place new meaning in the vertical jump.

Rolling WA farms, snow geese aplenty, & a fine parking space near the LaConner, WA marina brought a slow afternoon complete with Nellie walks and a run around town. Tremendous thanks to Sarah & Jamie Southard Family. Kid time with Braden, Will & Emily was a hoot!! Thank you kindly for the warm company, yummy food, & cozy home!! 

Shauna Houseparty - Portland, OR

Shauna knows how to throw a party! With over 10 in attendance, Aunt Peg & Shauna's Portland community of friends was a blast. The food was tasty, the laughter in abundance, and the support outstanding. Thank you to Shauna for opening your cozy home... and huge thank you to Aunt Peg for your SE Portland digs, delicious Thai supper, & great company. We look forward to a Portland return indeed!!

Aiyana Houseparty - Portland, OR

Big thanks to Aiyana, Stewart & friends! Nothing like connecting with a fellow White Sulphur Springs local & a fine batch of Portland-ites! Tasty grub, lots of laughter - and once again, superb support - be sure to send us stories & photos of you all in the pants!

Em's Family & Nellie's first taste of the salty sea!

Thanks to Steve & Sandee Coulter for... HOME!! Tremendous thanks to the parents for the lovely feast of salmon and Dungeness crab, fine company and heaps of support. It was tough leaving for certain... but we'll be back!!

Blue skies in Seattle

Brilliant Olympics to the west, Cascades to the east - Seattle has delivered us with grand views & good times to say the least. Friday's festivities in Ballard included live bluegrass and local music (Em's cousins, Seattle-based band The Lonely H) that shook the salty streets into a damn fine groove. Heaps of thanks to Sarah & Chris Zablocki-Axling and their cozy Ballard digs. Enjoyed a lovely Sunday brunch with them both and the legendary Bob Birkby, wishing too that Yemaya et al was in town to join us - but enjoying the 5 Spot feast and company just right!! Thank you Sarah & Chris!!

Sunday afternoon party in Wallingford was terrific - big thank you to Corey McKrill & Sarah Bronstein for opening their home to us. The smell of fresh baked cookies greeted us at the door, complete with great taste in bluegrass music, & a yummy feast.  Quick kudos to Big Sky Brewery - the beer is a hit, especially on a sunny Seattle Sunday afternoon!! Thank you to Sarah & Corey of course!! Be sure to send us photos of your new pants in action!!

'W' as in whisky

As Sarah grudgingly replaced the old computer with a brand spankin' new MACbook - she knew things were looking up when the Apple salesman stated the invoice order # confirming that yes indeed, 'W' stands for whisky. Sunlight & warmth streamed through the shop windows sweeping the pants with golden goodness and a gospel choir sang on high. So watch out I-90 ...we're on our merry way... finally!

And with one flat tire on the Airstream no MORE than 150 miles out of White Sulphur Springs - pants were put into action changing the busted tire. Check out these photos!! And thanks to Clay & Trey, Drummond, MT locals who so willingly helped us out in the frigid cold January night. Cheers (with a cold BudLight!) to you both!

Seattle or BUST!!

• Holidays: check.
• Family: check.
• Reconvene in WSS: check.

And we're nearly off once again... with a recent computer crash, absurd Pacific Northwest weather, & a slew of good reasoning - the tour was postponed a few days to avoid calamity. A Thursday afternoon departure set in stone, today is jam packed to the gills with laundry, packing, mailings, & otherwise preparing for SIX WEEKS on the open road. John Hartford cranked on the stereo, cowboy coffee on an infinite cycle, & Em fitting in time to knit - it's another beautiful day in the world of Red Ants Pants. Next stop... Seattle & The Lonely H concert Friday night - yeeehaaawww!!