##¨#¨¨¨#¨#                                          #####¨#¨¨¨
¨###¨¨###¨                                          ¨¨¨¨###¨¨#
#¨¨#¨#¨¨##                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
#¨####¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨##¨###¨¨
##¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨#¨##¨¨#¨#
¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ###¨#¨###¨
##¨##¨##¨#             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.          #¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨##                                          ###¨##¨¨¨¨
¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨##¨#¨¨¨¨
#¨#¨¨¨##¨¨                                          ¨#¨###¨¨¨¨
###¨¨#¨#¨¨                                          ###¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨#¨####¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨
¨###¨¨¨#¨#                                          ¨###¨#¨##¨