¨¨¨¨--$&&& &&&$--¨¨¨¨
¨,---$$@@@ @@@$$---,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-†@@ @@†-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,--†@@@ @@@†--,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,†$& &$†,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-†$@&@## ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ##@&@$†-,¨
¨¨¨¨,-$&@@ the alvar fields @@&$-,¨¨¨¨
¨,-†$@&@@# @@@#@#@#@#@#@@@@ #@@&@$†-,¨
¨,-†$@&@@@ @@@&@$†-,¨
¨¨,-††@&&& 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 &@†-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-†$@&@@## to stay where you are. ##@@&@$†-¨
¨,-†$@&@@# #@@&@$†-,¨
¨¨¨¨,†$&&& &&&$†,¨¨¨¨
¨,-†$@&@@# #@@&@$†-,¨
¨,-†$@&@@@ @@@&@$†-,¨
¨¨¨---$$@@ @@$$---¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--$& &$--¨¨¨¨¨¨