¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§§§§§§§§
§§§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§§§§§
§§¨¨§§§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§§§
§¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨§§¨¨§§§§§
¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨§             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.          §¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
§§§¨¨§§§§§                                          §§§§§¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§§§§§§
§¨¨§§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§