¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=$                                          $=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~=$@                                          @$=~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~=$@£                                          £@$=~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^~=$@£@                                          @£@$=~^¨¨¨
¨¨^~=$@£@#                                          #@£@$=~^¨¨
¨^~=$@£@##             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ##@£@$=~^¨
¨¨^~=$@£@#             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.          ##@£@$=~^¨
¨¨^~=$@£@#                                          #@£@$=~^¨¨
¨¨¨^~=$@£@                                          @£@$=~^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~=$@£                                          £@$=~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~=$@                                          @$=~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=$                                          $=~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~=                                          =~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨