¨^~:%*£#@#                                          #@#£*%:~^¨
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¨^~:%*£###             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ###£*%:~^¨
¨^~:%*£###             the alvar fields             ###£*%:~^¨
¨^~:%*£#@#             ***#@#@#@#@#@***             #@#£*%:~^¨
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¨¨¨^^~~~%£ 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.          @£%%~^^^¨¨
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