##§/:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:/§##
#%/=:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:=/%#
##%%=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=%%##
#####§%/:¨                                          ¨:/%§#####
####§%/=:¨                                          ¨:=/%§####
##§%%%/=:¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨:=/%%%§##
####§%/=:¨             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.          ¨:=/%§####
###%%=:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:=%%###
####§%/=:¨                                          ¨:=/%§####
##§/::::¨¨                                          ¨¨::::/§##
###§§%/=:¨                                          ¨:=/%§§###
####§%/=:¨                                          ¨:=/%§####
#§//:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨://§#