Randi with an i
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    • About Randi
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  • Outdoors
  • Flagstaff
  • Travel
    • Travel
    • India (Yoga Teacher Training)
    • Peace Corps Ukraine
  • Lifestyle
    • Forestry + wildfire (my day job)
    • Yoga (my night job)
    • Our house + renovation work
    • Wedding planning
    • Our huskies
    • Sustainability
    • Books + movies + music
    • Skincare + haircare + physical self-care
    • DIY + decor
    • Odds and Ends
  • Stuff I like
  • About
    • About Randi
    • Contact
    • Professional ish (AKA: portfolio)
    • Disclosure and privacy policy

Our favorite adventure dog gear: Hiking and backpacking gear for huskies (and other outdoor dogs)

June 14, 2024 April 25, 2025 Randi

Ryan and I love huskies.

When Ryan first adopted Yukon years ago, I thought he was crazy. I would have much rather had a golden retriever (I grew up with goldens, and my sister has one now), or an Aussie.

But, not only did Yukon grow on me — I fell in love with him. Not only was he sassy, stubborn, independent and goofy, he was also so spirited and high-energy! He had a big, bold personality and a love of adventures.

I came around to adoring our husky so, so much that, when Yukon sadly died, getting another husky was a no-brainer.

Which is how we ended up adopting Ochi.

One of the best parts of having a super active breed is being able to take it on adventures. We never hesitated to take Yukon on all the adventures, and we are doing the same for Ochi!

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S#!T I’ve been loving lately (June 2024 edition)

June 10, 2024 June 5, 2024 Randi

You can always tell it’s fire season because I finally start buying way more stuff than I actually need.

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Kendrick Cabin (a night in a retired U.S. Forest Service Fire Guard Station from the 1960s!)

June 6, 2024 June 16, 2024 Randi

Talk about a room with a view!

I recently had a chance to spend a night in Kendrick Cabin, a former U.S. Forest Service Fire Guard Station from the 1960s, located on the forest I work on.

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High altitude Black Forest cherry kirsch cake – a cherry chocolate cake recipe for 7,000 feet

June 3, 2024 June 2, 2024 Randi

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, RYAN!

If you’ve been following along for the last few years, you know that every year, for Ryan’s birthday, I make him his favorite dessert: A Black Forest cherry kirsch cake.

This was year four… and it’s finally the year perfected the recipe to account for our altitude here in Flagstaff — 7,000 feet above sea level.

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What I read: May 2024

May 31, 2024 May 31, 2024 Randi

Happy fire season!

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Papaya, mango, coconut and carrot smoothie

May 23, 2024 May 20, 2024 Randi

You ever just find yourself hyper-fixating on a food?

I do this all the time. If I find a recipe that’s easy, healthy, delicious and relatively affordable, I will make it over and over and over again until I am sick of it and can never eat it again.

My latest hyper-fixation recipe is this really easy tropical orange smoothie that’s loaded with antioxidants and flavor!

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And… it’s fire season! My first qualified PIO assignment (and my first rostered IMT assignment): The Wolf Fire

May 21, 2024 May 20, 2024 Randi

It’s that time of year!

Ryan and I both just wrapped up a stint on the Wolf Fire, a roughly-10,000 acre forest fire down on his district.

While I was (luckily) able to get right back to my normal life — working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at my day job, teaching (and taking) yoga classes at my studio, making healthy dinners away from fire camp, train running and hiking with Ochi — after I demobilized, Ryan actually hopped right into a fire assignment with his former Hotshot crew, Blue Ridge. He’s down in Phoenix right now working on the Wildcat fire.

My assignment on the Wolf Fire lasted for about nine days. This is my fourth season working as a Public Information Officer (PIO) on wildfires, and while I’ve worked as a PIO on about a dozen wildfires at this point in my career — everything from a Complex wildfire to a Type 3 wildfire to initial attack! — this fire assignment was pretty cool for a few reasons.

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REI Anniversary Sale picks

May 18, 2024 May 18, 2024 Randi

It’s REI Anniversary Sale time!

No joke, I look forward to this annual sale so much that I usually get my order confirmation email before I get my “the Anniversary Sale has started” email.

I wanted to write this post sooner, but Ryan and I unexpectedly went down to Phoenix last night to see my Detroit Tigers play the Arizona Diamondbacks, and before that, I was on a fire assignment for about 10 days.

So, short of placing this year’s order (these camping utensils and this solar panel) immediately, I haven’t had time to sit down and write this post out until just now.

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Yoga studio etiquette for beginners: What to do as a new yoga student and advice for beginner yoga students

May 14, 2024 May 13, 2024 Randi

Every experienced yogi was once a beginner, and every studio regular — at one point in their yoga journey — walked through a studio’s doors for the first time.

Yoga can be a vulnerable and scary practice. Trying new things is intimidating! Especially when you’re trying new things in a new environment in front of new people.

And you may or may not be very sweaty.

If you’ve never been to a yoga studio, it can be an overwhelming experience at first. So, I took a second to jot down some etiquette tips for new and beginner yogis who maybe haven’t participated in a studio practice before.

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A day trip to Tuzigoot National Monument (and Tavasci Marsh)

May 8, 2024 May 7, 2024 Randi

I mentioned it in yesterday’s post about our girls’ trip to Cottonwood, Clarkdale and the Verde Valley, but I recently had a chance to check out Tuzigoot National Monument for the first time.

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HELLO!

Randi with an i

Randi M. Shaffer

Hi! I'm Randi. I spend my days working in forestry and wildfire, my nights instructing yoga and my weekends exploring northern Arizona (and beyond). I'm a former journalist, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and a Midwest native. Welcome!
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