emlarson - Ellsworth (explained)

Up until early 2008... How did I escape from the hustle and bustle of city life?

I didn't.

But if I did -- and, technically, I suppose it's "suburban life" rather than "city life" that I live -- I would visit my folks out in beautiful Ellsworth, Wisconsin.

Here's an aerial photo of their property, courtesy of Microsoft's Terraserver. I shaded their 10 acres, based on the fences that are there now.

What fascinates me about photos like this are the details you can't see on the ground, like the old abandoned fencelines on nearby property (which are hidden behind this text).

Also note that my folks had an easement through their southern neighbor's property, so they're farther from the county road than 10 acres would normally allow. (And the road was under reconstruction when this photo was taken, hence its "washed out" appearance of the bare gravel at the very bottom of the photo.)

Flat photos from hundreds of miles up in space don't really show how rolling the countryside really is out there. According to the US Geological Survey, there's something like 100 feet of elevation change on their property alone.

Wonder what that looks like?

Click here to continue.