%^=-^.....                                          .....^-=^%
&%^=-^....                                          ....^-=^%&
#&%^=-^...                                          ...^-=^%&#
##&%^=-^..                                          ..^-=^%&##
###&%^=-^.                                          .^-=^%&###
##&%^=-^..             ................             ..^-=^%&##
#&%^=-^...             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.          ..^-=^%&##
#&%^=-^...                                          ...^-=^%&#
&%^=-^....                                          ....^-=^%&
%^=-^.....                                          .....^-=^%
^=-^......                                          ......^-=^
=-^.......                                          .......^-=
-^........                                          ........^-