###§¤$†--¨                                          ¨--†$¤§###
##§¤$†--¨¨                                          ¨¨--†$¤§##
#§¤$†--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--†$¤§#
§¤$†--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--†$¤§
¤$†--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--†$¤
$†--¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨--†$
†--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--†
$†--¨¨¨¨¨¨ EARTH  IS BARE  IN PATCHES AS  LARGE  AS ¨¨¨¨¨¨--†$
¤$†--¨¨¨¨¨               YOU AND ME.                ¨¨¨¨¨--†$¤
§¤$†--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--†$¤§
#§¤$†--¨¨¨ CROSS  IT  TO GET TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ¨¨¨--†$¤§#
##§¤$†--¨¨          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ¨¨--†$¤§##
###§¤$†--¨                                          ¨--†$¤§###
##§¤$†--¨¨                                          ¨¨--†$¤§##
#§¤$†--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--†$¤§#
§¤$†--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--†$¤§
¤$†--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--†$¤
$†--¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨--†$