¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§####                                          ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§##                                          ##§$†~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§####             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§###             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§##             §§§##########§§§             ##§$†~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§#### FROM   NORTH   TO  SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§### KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§## THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO  STONE, ##§$†~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~†$§### A FOOT OR  TWO. NO ROOTS CAN  FESTER, NO ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§####             DUST CAN LINGER.             ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§## HERE IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY  LOW ##§$†~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~†$§### PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§#### EARTH  IS  BARE IN  PATCHES AS LARGE  AS ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§###                YOU AND ME.               ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§##                                          ##§$†~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~†$§### CROSS IT TO GET  TO THE  OCEAN, OR DON'T ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§####          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§##                                          ##§$†~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨.~†$§####                                          ####§$†~.¨
¨¨.~†$§###                                          ###§$†~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~†$§##                                          ##§$†~.¨¨¨