  The XXZ Heisenberg chain is considered for two specific limits of the
anisotropy parameter: $\Dl\to 0$ and $\Dl\to -\infty$. The corresponding wave
functions are expressed by means of the symmetric Schur functions. Certain
expectation values and thermal correlation functions of the ferromagnetic
string operators are calculated over the base of N-particle Bethe states. The
thermal correlator of the ferromagnetic string is expressed through the
generating function of the lattice paths of random walks of vicious walkers. A
relationship between the expectation values obtained and the generating
functions of strict plane partitions in a box is discussed. Asymptotic estimate
of the thermal correlator of the ferromagnetic string is obtained in the limit
of zero temperature. It is shown that its amplitude is related to the number of
plane partitions.
