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