###¤@=*«:¨                                          ¨:«*=@¤###
##¤@=*«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«*=@¤##
#¤@=*«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«*=@¤#
¤@=*«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«*=@¤
@=*«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«*=@
=*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*=
*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*
=*«:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«*=
@=*«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«*=@
¤@=*«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«*=@¤
#¤@=*«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«*=@¤#
##¤@=*«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«*=@¤##