¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨             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.          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨