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