¨.~^*¤§@## ##@§¤*^~.¨
¨.~^¤§@### ###@§¤^~.¨
¨.~^*¤§@## ##@§¤*^~.¨
¨.~^*¤§@## ##@§¤*^~.¨
¨.~^*¤§@## ##@§¤*^~.¨
¨.~^*¤§@## ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ##@§¤*^~.¨
¨¨¨.^***§§ 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. §¤¤¤¤*^~.¨
¨.~^*§@### ###@§*^~.¨
¨.~^*¤§§@@ @@§§¤*^~.¨
¨.~^*¤§§@@ @@§§¤*^~.¨
¨.~^^^^¤@@ @@¤^^^^~.¨
¨.~^*¤@### ###@¤*^~.¨
¨¨¨..~^^¤§ §¤^^~..¨¨¨