.~-/§%@###                                          ###@%§/-~.
....~/§@@#                                          #@@§/~....
.~-/§%%%##                                          ##%%%§/-~.
~-/§%@####                                          ####@%§/-~
....~/§@@#                                          #@@§/~....
...--//%%@             ................             @%%//--...
.~-/§%@###             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.          ###@%§/-~.
.....-§%##                                          ##%§-.....
.~-/§%@###                                          ###@%§/-~.
.~-/§%@###                                          ###@%§/-~.
.~-/§%@###                                          ###@%§/-~.
.~-/%@####                                          ####@%/-~.
.~-/§§§@@#                                          #@@§§§/-~.