£%%/^.....                                          .....^/%%£
¶%%%*/^...                                          ...^/*%%%¶
###£%*/=^.                                          .^=/*%£###
###¶£*/=^.                                          .^=/*£¶###
##¶£%*/=^.                                          .^=/*%£¶##
###¶£%*/^.             ................             .^/*%£¶###
£*===.....             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.          .....^/%¶¶
###¶£%*/=^                                          ^=/*%£¶###
¶%%*///=^.                                          .^=///*%%¶
£*/////=^.                                          .^=/////*£
£*//^.....                                          .....^//*£
¶%///=^^..                                          ..^^=///%¶
£**//^....                                          ....^//**£