The Tiny House (Christmas Adventure)

As some of you know, I managed to make it back to the US for Christmas and the new year; it was lots of fun, and I'm glad I got to see so many of you while I was there! Over the break I got a chance to go to Huntsville at see a project that my cousin Chad works on at Nexus Energy Center. The Tiny House now resides at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville if anyone is interested. Below is a summary of some of the eco-friendly and high efficiency features of the Tiny House.  

Tankless, Gas Fueled Hot Water Heater

Small Gas Heater

A comparison of tanked and tankless water heaters.

Some energy saving tips from Nexus!

One of the easier changes that can be made to your home is the style of window. 

Almost all appliances in stores today have an Energy Guide attached to them. It's an easy way to see how much they will cost operate.  

The Tiny House is outfitted with solar panels that power its electrical devices (such as the fridge and TV).

The Tiny House is well insulated! This cutout portion of the wall allows those on the tour to see things that are normally hidden in a home. 

Yet again, buy appliances with the Energy Guide in mind! 

The outside artwork of the Tiny House. 

My favorite part is the rainwater catcher on the right side. 

The back end with another solar panel, gas, and air conditioner exhaust.  

The nice artwork on the other side!

This is just a nice close up of a solar panel. I think they look pretty, and this picture makes for a nice desktop background. 

Mount Pulag and Thanksgiving

Hey everyone! I realize it's been a while (about 4-5 months...) since I lasted posted, but here's a picture packed post to catch you all up! The first pictures are from our ascent up the 8km (5mi) Ambangeg Trail.

This is at the Ranger Station at Mount Pulag. From here we ascended the Ambangeg Trail up the mountain to the summit at 9, 587 feet above sea level (2,922 masl)

Up into the clouds we go!

Diana found a spider.

And just like that... the trees are gone.

The fog/clouds made for a unique experience. It was extremely quite and peaceful as we hiked up the mountain.

This is our mountain guide; it's a required part of hiking up the mountain. He is from the area, and has lived around the mountain his entire life. 

This is the next morning at sunrise.

The "Sea of Clouds" for which the mountain is famous.

This is a outhouse... the tie-downs are re-bar. Guess it gets a bit windy sometimes. 

 The next pictures are the descent. It is a 16km (10mi) descent that gets as steep as 60 degrees. The trail is classified as a Class 3.

The people of the region have their own religious and cultural practices that differ a bit from our own. This is one example. 

The next few pictures are from Sagada. It's a Peace Corps Philippines tradition that volunteers in their second year take a trip to Sagada to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

This is what Sagada is know for... those are coffins that are hanging off the mountain side. This practice is prevalent throughout the area.