¨¨:-^=§###                                          ###§=^-:¨¨
¨:-^=§####                                          ####§=^-:¨
¨¨:-^=§###                                          ###§=^-:¨¨
¨¨¨:-^=§##                                          ##§=^-:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:-^=§#                                          #§=^-:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:-^=§             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             §=^-:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:-^=             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.          §=^-:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:-^=                                          =^-:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-^                                          ^-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-                                          -:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-                                          -:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-^                                          ^-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨