........,~                                          ~,........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,~                                          ~,........
.......,~/                                          /~,.......
......,~/%                                          %/~,......
.....,~/%¤             ................             ¤%/~,.....
....,~/%¤¤             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.          ¤%/~,.....
....,~/%¤¤                                          ¤¤%/~,....
...,~/%¤¤#                                          #¤¤%/~,...
..,~/%¤¤##                                          ##¤¤%/~,..
.,~/%¤¤###                                          ###¤¤%/~,.
..,~/%¤¤##                                          ##¤¤%/~,..
...,~/%¤¤#                                          #¤¤%/~,...