#@¶§$†=~:. .:~=†$§¶@#
§§$††==~:. .:~==††$§§
¶¶$†===~:. .:~===†$¶¶
#@¶§$†=~:. .:~=†$§¶@#
¶$=::..... .....::=$¶
§§§†=:.... ................ ....:=†§§§
##@§$†=~:. the alvar fields .:~=†$§@##
§†=~...... $$$#@#@#@#@#@$$$ ......~=†§
¶$$†~~~~:. .:~~~~†$$¶
§†~::..... 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 ...:==††§¶
@¶$†~..... you and me. .....~†$¶@
§$$$$†=~:. .:~=†$$$$§
§$†††==~:. cross it to get to the ocean, or don't .:~==†††$§
§$†~~~.... to stay where you are. ....~~~†$§
@@¶§$†=~:. .:~=†$§¶@@
##@¶§†=~:. .:~=†§¶@##
@§$$=~:... ...:~=$$§@
#@¶§$†=~:. .:~=†$§¶@#
¶$††~..... .....~††$¶
¶$†=~..... .....~=†$¶