SB: site mapping

["david morrison" <davjen@paulbunyan.net>]

i find all this talk of 3 d site mapping a tad bit worrisome.  since ive
been part of this site...  a whole week or so,  its the only thing ive heard
talked about.      the summery is as follows...  how can i do it,  why
doesnt it work right, how can i buy more technoyadda to make it work better.
i will admit that the curiosity of playing with such toys is attractive, and
the data can be worth while.    you guys are supposed to be straw balers
tho.  straw bale folks get muddy.  they get full if itchy straw rash,  they
make due with whats on hand...  you wanna know what your property looks
like,  put on some outside clothes and go walk it.    i can take 40 acres
and an afternoon and tell you where the high spots are,  where the low spots
are,  where the water drains from...  the high spots, go figure,  and where
it drains to....  the low spots.

i bought 40 acres near my lake cabin...  the low spot there being the lake.
i took a year to become aquainted with my property by setting up my horses
in the pasture,  cutting a fence line or two through the woods,  cleaning up
ancient garbage left by past owners.  walking the surrounding state land,
tagging trees at various times of the year as to what flowers,  what is
what,  and what could go.    in the winter i walked the swamp land,  the low
point of that property,  tried to estimate my property lines through it.  i
watched which way the snow blew and accumulated over the winter to determine
the best places to put a house out of the wind, and the best place to cut in
a road that wont be drifted over every time i plow.  in the spring i put on
my tall boots and walked through the vernal ponds and looked for habitat
that i wouldnt mind getting rid of, as well as things that i wouldnt want to
destroy.  i paid attention to the ground as i walked to note whether it was
very water logged, or was it fairly dry.  this is helpful in knowing if
water is draining through just under the surface.    i could have looked at
a topo map to make some estimates as to what is where,  but in my experience
with such things...  which is enough to know,   these maps just give you an
inkling of what your property may look like...      and if youre already the
property owner,  and you take a gps out and map the land,  and put it in a
program to make it 3 d,    you know what you end up with.....  hmmmmmm......
a poor imitation of what you were out walking on.

im sorry folks,   i love technology as much or more than most.  im often
made fun of by friends or yelled at by my wife for the amount of time i
spend playing on the puter, which is considerable.  but when it comes down
to it.  get out there with a note pad and a pencil...  and take notes.   the
'feel' you get of that property while standing on it and looking at it,
pondering this and that, far out weigh anything some snazzy little gps
software program will give you in your den.   in the end its what you have
to do anyhow.

im still hoping btw...  that someone has some earthen rendering tips for me.

dave




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