¨¨#¨##¨¨##                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨
¨¨¨¨###¨#¨                                          #¨¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨¨#             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ##¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨             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.          ¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨##¨                                          #¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨###                                          ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨#                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨#                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#