#¤=~...... ......~=¤#
####¤^=-~. .~-=^¤####
#¶##¤^=-~. .~-=^¤##¶#
##¶#¤^=-~. .~-=^¤#¶##
#¶¶#¤^=-~. .~-=^¤#¶¶#
##¶#¤^=-~. ................ .~-=^¤#¶##
##¶#¤^=-~. 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. ...-=^^¤¤¶
##¶#¤^=-~. .~-=^¤#¶##
##¶#¤^=-~. .~-=^¤#¶##
####¤^=-~. .~-=^¤####
#^^==~.... ....~==^^#
##¶#¤^=-~. .~-=^¤#¶##
##¶#¤^=-~. .~-=^¤#¶##