&¨&&¨&¨¨¨& &&¨¨&&¨&&¨
&&&¨&&&¨¨& &¨&¨&¨&&¨&
¨¨¨&&¨¨&¨& &&&&&&&¨&&
&¨¨&¨&¨&&& &¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨
&&¨&&&&&¨¨ &&¨¨¨¨¨&¨&
¨¨&&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &¨&¨¨¨¨&&&
&¨&¨&¨¨¨&& 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. &¨&¨&&¨¨&¨
¨&¨¨&&¨&¨¨ &&&&&¨&¨&&
&&&¨&¨&&&¨ &¨¨¨¨&&&&¨
&¨¨&&&&¨¨& &&¨¨¨&¨¨¨&
¨&¨&¨¨¨&¨& ¨¨&¨¨&&¨¨&
&&&&&¨¨&&& ¨¨&&¨&¨&¨&
¨¨¨¨¨&¨&¨¨ ¨¨&¨&&&&&&