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