####&%*~~¨ ¨~~*%&####
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#&&*~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~*&&#
####&%*~~¨ 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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###&%*~~~¨ ¨~~~*%&###
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