¨¨¨¨««†@@@                                          @@@†««¨¨¨¨
¨-«=†§@@##                                          ##@@§†=«-¨
¨¨¨¨-=§@@#                                          #@@§=-¨¨¨¨
¨-««««†@@@                                          @@@†««««-¨
¨-«=†§@@##                                          ##@@§†=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-««†@             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             @†««-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=†§@@##             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.          @§§=«¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=†§@###                                          ###@§†=«-¨
¨-«=†§@@##                                          ##@@§†=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«††@                                          @††«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=†§@@##                                          ##@@§†=«-¨
¨¨¨¨-«†§@#                                          #@§†«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--=§§@@                                          @@§§=--¨¨¨