¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~†                                          †~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~                                          ~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             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.          £@$†~:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:~†$@                                          @$†~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:~†$                                          $†~:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~†                                          †~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~                                          ~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨