ADTech, thanks for the info. I thought it was too good to be true. Anyway, you're right, the best thing to do is get the antenna up and then experiment from there.
Tower Guy, I'm not quite sure how to interpret the elevation plot you posted, but I do understand ESE corner
I'm also not quite sure of what you meant by the top of Frankish Peak being visible above the roof? If the antenna is going to be close to the ground somewhere in the yard, the roof won't be in the path of the antenna, so are you just saying that I should shoot for the peak of Frankish when aiming, and as long as I can see it clearly from the front of the antenna it should be OK? Note that the back of the yard (which is the south part of the property) is sloped and lower than the front, although there are probably less obstacles in the path towards the mountains.
I found out that my cheapo Sylvania LCD TV has a signal strength indicator for each channel that I could probably use for aiming, although I'd have to drag it around with a power cord to do so. Not a big deal, I can just get someone to help me with aiming and watching. It's not going to be super accurate but it may get the job done.
Funny how the best height for KCBS 2 (RF 43) is so low to the ground. I hope I don't have to mount it that low, I'll have to find someplace where no one would be walking or trip over it... or maybe I'll get lucky and be able to get KFMB 8 from San Diego with a VHF antenna. Then I won't need to worry about KCBS, but at a distance of 93 miles it's iffy at best.
Next week I'll order the antennas and get started on this project. I'll keep posting and updating as I go along and let you know what happens. If you think of more things to try, let me know - I really appreciate the help, thanks again to everyone that chimed in!