[rickcain]

You are reasonably close to most of the transmitters, but as you have found out rabbit ears is not quite enough even when they're only a couple of miles away.
most of them are pointing about 10 degrees from true north so aiming is pretty easy.
You shouldn't need a large antenna. The antenna must be installed in a higher location preferably on the roof, because 2 feet off the ground will give you erratic reception.

One other option is mounting it in the attic instead. It may or may not work well depending on your roof type and whether you have radiant barrier (aluminum foil or foil backed decking).

Good antennas: Antennacraft HBU-22, AntennasDirect Clearstream C2

Bad antennas: Anything sold on ebay with the Lava brand! Don't fall for outrageous claims of 120 mile range and motorized rotors, they're junk plastic antennas from china.