##§†-~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~-†§##
&&====†-~¨                                          ¨~-†====&&
@@#&§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§&#@@
##@#&=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=&#@##
#@#&§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§&#@#
@&§=††-¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨-††=§&@
@#§§=---~¨             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.          ¨~-†=§&#@#
##@#§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§#@##
#@#&§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§&#@#
#§=†--~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~--†=§#
#@#&§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§&#@#
#@#&§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§&#@#
###&§=†-~¨                                          ¨~-†=§&###