¨¨¨¨^~:%*@                                          @*%:~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~:%*                                          *%:~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%                                          %:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:                                          :~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~                                          ~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             :~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%             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.          *%:~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~:%*@                                          @*%:~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^~:%*@#                                          #@*%:~^¨¨¨
¨¨^~:%*@##                                          ##@*%:~^¨¨
¨^~:%*@###                                          ###@*%:~^¨
¨¨^~:%*@##                                          ##@*%:~^¨¨
¨¨¨^~:%*@#                                          #@*%:~^¨¨¨