...~~^^^## ##^^^~~...
.,~^^%#### ####%^^~,.
......~^%# #%^~......
.,~^^%#### ####%^^~,.
.,~^^%#### ####%^^~,.
.,,~^^^### ................ ###^^^~,,.
.,~^^%#### 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. ##^~,.....
......~^%# #%^~......
.,~^^%#### ####%^^~,.
.,~^^^^^## ##^^^^^~,.
....,~^^## ##^^~,....
....~^%%## ##%%^~....
.,~^^%#### ####%^^~,.