&¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
&&&&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨&&&&¨¨¨
¨&&¨¨&&¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨&&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&¨¨& ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&¨¨¨¨ 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. &&&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ &&¨¨&&&&¨¨
¨¨¨&&¨¨¨&& &¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨
&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨&&¨¨¨¨&&
&¨¨&&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&
¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨ &&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨
&&&&&¨¨&¨¨ &&&¨¨&&&&&