&.&&..&&&. ..&..&...&
&&.&.&..&. .&&.&&..&.
.&&&&&.&&. &.&&.&.&&&
&....&&.&& &&.&&&&..&
&...&.&&.& .&&...&.&.
&..&&&.&&& ................ &.&..&&&&&
&.&..&&... 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. &&.&&.&..&
&&&&&.&.&& .&&.&&&.&&
....&&&&.& &.&&..&&..
...&...&&& &&.&.&.&..
..&&..&... .&&&&&&&..
.&.&.&&..& &......&..
&&&&&.&.&. &.....&&..