The snowfall had stopped a few weeks ago, only sparse patches remained, and soon spring would grace Dalkeith-Upon-the-Sea once more.

But the valley had only sparse patches of dirt sprinkled in among broken boulders and walls of solid stone.

His mature paintings often consist of a few sparse patches of paint laid over a monochrome field.

His mouth was concealed by a tangled beard that, despite its length, grew only in sparse, ugly patches from his cheeks, chin, and neck.

He had grown accustomed to a world of whiteness and clarity, broken by sparse patches of light pastel.

Late in the afternoon he followed a stream, milky with lime, which ran through sparse patches of rush-grass.

There were still patches of snow on the ground, sparse and dirty.

At least the grass grew only in sparse patches.

Scattered among the swells below floated sparse patches of seaweed.

Around it grew sparse patches of berries, some of the fruit ripe.