,.~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~.,
,.~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~.,
,.~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~.,
,.~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~.,
,.†^@§@###                                          ###@§@^†.,
,.~~†††^§§             ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,             §§^†††~~.,
,,,,,~†@§@             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.          ##@§@^†~.,
,,,,,~^@§#                                          #§@^~,,,,,
,.~~††^§§#                                          #§§^††~~.,
,.~†^@§@@@                                          @@@§@^†~.,
,,,,,.~†@§                                          §@†~.,,,,,
,.~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~.,
,.~†^@§@##                                          ##@§@^†~.,