###&**~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~**&###
##&**~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~**&##
#&**~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~**&#
&**~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~**&
**~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~**
*~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*
**~.¨¨¨¨¨¨             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.          ¨¨¨.~**&##
###&**~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~**&###
####&**~.¨                                          ¨.~**&####
###&**~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~**&###
##&**~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~**&##
#&**~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~**&#
&**~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~**&