,&,&&&,,&&                                          &&&,&&&&,&
&&&&,,&,&,                                          ,,,&&,,,&&
,,,,&,&&&&                                          ,,,&,&,,&,
,,,,&&&,,,                                          ,,,&&&&,&&
&,,,&,,&,,                                          ,,,&,,,&&,
&&,,&&,&&,             ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,             &,,&&,,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&             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.          &&,,&&,,,&
,&&&&,,,,,                                          &,&,&,&,,&
&&,,,&,,,,                                          &&&&&&&&,&
,,&,,&&,,,                                          &,,,,,,,&&
&,&&,&,&,,                                          &&,,,,,,&,
&&&,&&&&&,                                          ,,&,,,,,&&
,,,&&,,,,&                                          &,&&,,,,&,