,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,
,,,,,~::§@                                          @§::~,,,,,
,,,,::^#@@                                          @@#^::,,,,
,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,
,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,
,,,,,:~~^#             ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,             #^~~:,,,,,
,:~:^§#@##             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.          ##@#§^:~:,
,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,
,,,,,~:§##                                          ##§:~,,,,,
,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,
,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,
,,,,~^§###                                          ###§^~,,,,
,:~:^§#@##                                          ##@#§^:~:,