...--~~:§# #§:~~--...
.-~:§&#@## ##@#&§:~-.
.-~:§&###@ @###&§:~-.
.-:§&#@### ###@#&§:-.
....-~:§## ##§:~-....
....-~§§&# ................ #&§§~-....
.-~:§§§&## 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. ##@#&§:~-.
.-~:§&#@## ##@#&§:~-.
.-~:§&#@## ##@#&§:~-.
.....-:&@# #@&:-.....
......-:§# #§:-......
.-~:§&#@## ##@#&§:~-.
....~~§### ###§~~....