Now don't mistake Google Earth for the maps you can look at on regular Google. Google Earth is like being a bird and flying over your house, then flying over your neighbor's house to see what they might be grilling on their backyard barbeque. And therein lies the creepy part. This whole thing is a pretty big invasion of privacy.
But Google Earth also allows you to visit the houses where you used to live, the places you went on vacation, or the gated estate that you covet, without getting arrested for stalking.
I can fly over the 7MSN and count my trees or map out a new trail ride. And when I point my mouse over the roof, Google Earth tells me my exact altitude and latitude and longitude. I'm a modern-day Magellan, discovering new worlds...where all the roads are clearly marked and there are close-up photographs of the intersections.
I am totally hooked on Google Earth. Check out Hooked On Fridays over at Julia's place to see what other folks are hooked on this week.
Wow! You really ARE out in the middle of nowhere! I don't see ANY neighbors! I'm going to have to retire and move out your way (tee hee!)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you've finally joined the Google Earth world. Can't believe you didn't know about it. I guess out there in the middle of nowhere, you don't get much news. Without knowing exactly where The 7MSN is located, one would certainly never find it!
ReplyDeleteI've visited all the great diving spots this week, and briefly checked out our old house/schools in Brooklyn (never want to go back there!)
Linda, thank you so much for this post. I just downloaded the newest version of Google Earth to my new Mac yesterday and am amazed at all the stuff that has been added over the years.
ReplyDeleteYour post made me think about some exciting ways I used Google Earth in the classroom, which I posted about today. Thanks for the inspiration, as always!
Wow! Interesting. I have heard about it, but never checked it out before.
ReplyDeleteWe got hooked on this quite a while ago at our house. My kids love looking at Paris and then our house, and then at the Pyramids in Egypt and then back to our house....
ReplyDeleteIt does look as though you really do live Seven Miles South of Nowhere.
Like Cheryl Ann said, you really don't have any neighbors! WOW ... that must be truly wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe discovered Google Earth a while back and found it quite fasinating and almost addictive in the beginning, yet somewhat scary too!
I'm with Cheryl, you ARE in the middle of nowhere :)
ReplyDeleteI discovered it a while back and found it fascinating too. Love to check things out, especially new areas to ride.
My kids actually told me about Google Earth, so maybe I should take the time to check it out! :)
ReplyDeletePS-I LOVE the big picture of Wynona that greets us as we enter your blog. :)
Okay, I am terrible at figuring out this kind of tech stuff, but I really want to fly! (and if you hear a lot of growls coming from the north shore of Lake Erie, that's me, being all frustrated) So, how close up can you actually get? Like, if I said I'm going out in my backyard at 11:15 a.m. EST next Tuesday, and waved, could you see me?? :-0
ReplyDeleteMy neck of the woods on Google Earth just appears as a big green blob. I can make out the road, barely, but ain' nobody gonna be seein' what I had on the picnic table that day.
ReplyDelete:-P
I love google earth!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
I agree Google earth is very cool! And amazing!
ReplyDeleteI use it as a poor man's Garmin to track my trail rides. There's a little ruler button; click it and you can choose line or path; path lets you draw the path you rode and calculates the mileage for you!
ReplyDeleteI live far enough out that the level of detail isn't too scary.
OMG, Funder! I had no idea about the ruler thing! Now I'm even MORE excited about this thing. THANKS!
ReplyDeletePlease check out the "Ocean" folder. Underwater Features is very cool.
ReplyDeleteGoogle Earth is a fantastic tool for covering huge swaths of the earth and seeing their relationships. Note it is a client-side application that needs to be downloaded.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is perfect for country settings such as yours, there are a couple of other tools that I am addicted to for city settings such as mine. maps.google.com is fantastic if you have a street address and want to see what the neighborhood looks like (when the little information bubble pops up on the map, click on "street view" and you'll see what it would be like to drive down the street!).
And finally, there is www.zillow.com. Most people get hung up on the ZEstimate for the home value, but I don't even look at that. It shows you the property lines (excellent!), square footage, bed and bath count, last date sold, and other useful info as well as a Birds Eye View of the neighborhood. Pair this with the Street View and I don't even have to move my butt from my chair to get a feel for a neighborhood.
My, how times have changed!
Hey! I'm back. :o)
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about Google Earth either. One addiction at a time. That's my motto.
You might enjoy "flying" to Easter Island and looking around for the monoliths, or "flying" to Pompeii, Italy.
ReplyDeleteI only found Google Earth invasive in the first year of its release, but now it is just a wonderful addiction.
I HATE Google Earth, but love it at the same time! I think it's an awsome tool, but soooo creepy! I played with it on other people's computers but not very much until I downloaded it a few weeks ago (dail-up internet hated it). I've always wanted an ariel view of our property, and now I have one, but then I put in my penpal's address in the US and I could see she has a pool, not to mention the street views! (Activate it if you haven't already) You can see the cars parked outside the houses!!! =S
ReplyDeleteHow can I find you on Google Earth? Don't worry, I won't show up at your doorstep as I live in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Europe. Do you want to look up my street? It's: Amsterdam, Nickeriestraat 34
ReplyDeleteBye
Els