#¨¨###¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨###¨###¨
#¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨¨##¨¨##
###¨##¨¨¨¨                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
¨¨##¨#¨¨¨¨                                          ¨#######¨#
¨#¨###¨¨¨#                                          #¨¨¨¨¨¨###
###¨¨#¨¨##             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             #¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨#¨##¨#¨¨             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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###¨#¨¨###                                          ##¨#¨###¨#