##¶@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@¶##
##¶@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@¶##
¶@††;~....                                          ....~;††@¶
##¶@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@¶##
###@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@###
@$;~~~....             ................             ....~~~;$@
@††-......             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 ..~~;;$$$@
##¶@$†;-~.          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          .~-;†$@¶##
##¶@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@¶##
##¶@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@¶##
#¶¶@$†;-~.                                          .~-;†$@¶¶#
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¶$$;;~....                                          ....~;;$$¶
@$†††-....                                          ....-†††$@