.-~/*£¤### ###¤£*/~-.
.-~//*£¤¤# #¤¤£*//~-.
.....-/*¤¤ ¤¤*/-.....
.-~/*£¤### ###¤£*/~-.
.-~/*¤#### ####¤*/~-.
......-/£¤ ................ ¤£/-......
.-~~~/***¤ 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. ###¤£*/~-.
....-/*¤¤# #¤¤*/-....
.-~/*££££¤ ¤££££*/~-.
.-~/*£¤### ###¤£*/~-.
.-~/*£¤### ###¤£*/~-.
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.-~*£¤#### ####¤£*~-.