¨¨¨.~/%*#@                                          @#*%/~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/%*#                                          #*%/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/%*                                          *%/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/%                                          %/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/                                          /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.             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.          @@#*%/~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~/%*#@                                          @#*%/~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/%*#                                          #*%/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/%*                                          *%/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/%                                          %/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/                                          /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨