¨,~~~†††%#                                          #%†††~~~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨~†%@#                                          #@%†~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†%@@                                          @@%†~,¨¨¨¨
¨,~~~~%%%@                                          @%%%~~~~,¨
¨,~†%%@###                                          ###@%%†~,¨
¨,~†%%@###             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ###@%%†~,¨
¨¨¨~~~~†%@             the alvar fields             @%†~~~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~%@@@             %%%##########%%%             @@@%~¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~†%%@###                                          ###@%%†~,¨
¨¨¨¨,†%%@# from  north   to   south,   thirty   odd #@%%†,¨¨¨¨
¨,~~†††%%# kilometers.  from  west  to  east,  four #%%†††~~,¨
¨¨,,,~††%@ thousand meters. from topsoil to  stone, @%††~,,,¨¨
¨,~††%%%%# a foot or two. no  roots can fester,  no #%%%%††~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~†%@             dust can linger.             @%†~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~††%%%@                                          @%%%††~¨¨¨
¨,~†%%@### here  is  earth,  clay, and  sturdy  low ###@%%†~,¨
¨¨¨¨,†%%@# plants.  bushes  frame  the  strip.  the #@%%†,¨¨¨¨
¨,~†%%#### earth is  bare in  patches as  large  as ####%%†~,¨
¨,~†%%@###                you and me.               ###@%%†~,¨
¨¨¨,,†%%%@                                          @%%%†,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨,,†††%@ cross it to  get to the  ocean, or don't @%†††,,¨¨¨
¨,~†%%@###          to stay where you are.          ###@%%†~,¨
¨¨¨~††%@##                                          ##@%††~¨¨¨
¨,~†%%####                                          ####%%†~,¨
¨¨¨,,~~%@#                                          #@%~~,,¨¨¨
¨,~†%@####                                          ####@%†~,¨
¨¨¨¨~††%##                                          ##%††~¨¨¨¨
¨,~†%%@###                                          ###@%%†~,¨