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