¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨¨¨¨.~~^†§                                          §†^~~.¨¨¨¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.^†$§@###                                          ###@§$†^.¨
¨¨.~~~^†§§             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             §§†^~~~.¨¨
¨.~^†$§@##             the alvar fields             ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$§@##             $$$##########$$$             ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$§@## 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.               ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$$$§#                                          #§$$$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$§@## cross it to  get to the  ocean, or don't ##@§$†^~.¨
¨¨¨.^†$$$§          to stay where you are.          §$$$†^.¨¨¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨¨¨~~^^$$§                                          §$$^^~~¨¨¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~~~††$@@                                          @@$††~~~.¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨
¨.~^†$§@##                                          ##@§$†^~.¨