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