£#£§/«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«/§£#£
#£§/«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«/§£#
£§/«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«/§£
§/«:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«/§
/«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«/
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             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.          ¨¨:«/§£#£#
£#£§/«:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:«/§£#£
#£§/«:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:«/§£#
£§/«:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:«/§£
§/«:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«/§
/«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«/
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«