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%*=^¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=*%
*=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             the alvar fields             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=*
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             £££##########£££             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨^=*%£@##
#@£%*=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=*%£@#
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=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=