¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨             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.          §¨§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§