#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ##¨¨##¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨#             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#             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.          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨#
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨¨