Help solve a mystery, satellite view parallel with earth surface through trees??

[Butch LaFonte]

Help me solve a mystery, satellite view parallel with earth surface?
I have attached a picture I got from Google Earth. It was part of driving directions to my home I sent to someone. At each turn there was a camera icon that you could click on that would give you a view of the intersection. So I used my mouse to move the view down the street at the last turn to get a view of my house just for fun. I was astonished to see a view directly through my car port front to back through to my back yard! The view is from a level lower than the foundation of the house. I first thought the satellite must get a view when coming over the horizon at near parallel with the Earths surface. Then I remembered that behind the view position is sixty five to seventy five foot trees that totally block a view of my home. I went to the back of the carport and looked at the trees across the street from down on the car port floor and there was still twenty five feet of tree extending above the front of the carport entrance overhang. But I have this Goolge view that shows a street level straight view through my carport. As you can see in the picture the trees have full follage on them. Ok, what am I missing here? How can a satellite see parallel to the Earth and through a forest into my carport? That means it can also see through my windows into my home.
I know some guy has not gone down every street on the Earth and taken video of every inch he travels. So that leaves only one way, by satellite. How are they doing it?
See attached picture of my house I screen captured off Google.
Thanks,
Butch LaFonte

[Groundloop]

Butch LaFonte,

Google uses a car that travel around and take street views.
Ckeck out, http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/

Groundloop.

[Butch LaFonte]

Groundloop,
I find that so hard to believe! You mean that a guy is driving every freeking street in every major city in the United States? And getting a 360 degree view doing it? I live in a small country town 10 miles from a major city! What was he doing here? It would take for ever to video by street level. It would also need to be updated often. Man, I am really weirded out by this one.
I want to see the Google car that does this.

Butch

[Groundloop]

Butch LaFonte ,

Yes it is true. Google has a fleet of cars that is driving around in every street taking
360 degrees pictures. Also check out, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Street_View

It is not updated at all. Google take only one set of images as they go.

Groundloop.

[Butch LaFonte]

My God, what a massive undertaking! I can't imagine the problems they face doing that. They have to stop when it rains, during road construction, detours, backed up traffic. The side streets are what get me, Birmingham has millions! What about dangerous neighborhoods? There are parts of Birmingham and Los Angles I would not drive through in an M1 tank. Maping every street and every inch of pavement, that boggles the mind. I still can't believe they came to this little nothing town I live in that is so far from Birmingham. Also, there is a traffic update function and at ground level. I used it to look at a wreck on the interstate a few miles from here. How the heck are they doing that?
What really freaked me out was when I looked at my house I could see the three white plastic garbage cans that I washed out and turned upside down to dry in the car port. That was only one week before I saw my house on Goolge.
Just think, there is going to be a picture record for future generations of virtually every residence and bussiness in the world at this time. My gosh, how much money does Google have? I never have figured out how they made any money in the first place. Do you know any business or person that has ever given them any money? I don't.
Butch