###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨             $$$##########$$$             ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨ FROM   NORTH   TO  SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨ KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨ THOUSAND  METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨ A FOOT OR TWO.  NO  ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨             DUST CAN LINGER.             ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨ HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY LOW ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨ PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨ EARTH IS  BARE  IN  PATCHES AS  LARGE AS ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨               YOU AND ME.                ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨ CROSS IT  TO GET TO THE OCEAN, OR  DON'T ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~^$$@##
###@$$^~^¨                                          ¨^~^$$@###
##@$$^~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~^$$@##