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Malibu surfside news | January 10, 2019 | 13
Ashley’s Angle
A year of deeds and
Don’t Panic, It’s Organic
Starting anew in the fresh, new year
not of declarations
Ashley Hamilton
Contributing columnist
Malibu resident
No more New
Year’s resolutions,
please.
Not when the resolve to
do — and the resilience to
continue — is enough to
test our strength. Not when
this trial by fire will serve
as our last will and testament
about the Woolsey
Fire: a promise posterity
will judge not by what
we say today but by what
we do until the end of our
individual tomorrows; until
the day comes when our
deeds speak for themselves;
until what we leave
behind is built to last; until
we rebuild our schools and
houses; until we build a
house of many mansions.
What we build in
2019 should be, first and
foremost, a memorial to
the lives lost from this
fire. To give the dead an
everlasting name, let us
give literary flourish to the
figurative flesh of those
we cannot see but our
community should never
forget. Let us learn who
they were, so as to elevate
the memory of each victim
— so as to enshrine more
than a series of names
and numbers — when we
lower our heads and honor
our dead.
Yes: our dead, the faces
we knew and the images
future generations can
only know if we make our
intentions known; if we
make a place for the living
to remember the dead; if
we commemorate a trio
of victims — a trinity of
souls — whose names
consecrate the earth; if we
bless their names in lieu of
burying their bodies, since
little or nothing remains
but their ashes.
And yet, ashes are more
alive than dead.
If we sanctify them,
they can fortify the
ground. If we sprinkle
them, they can feed the
ground. If we scatter
them, they can freshen the
ground.
Let us do what we must,
regardless of conditions
and without further use
of conditional statements,
because now is the time
to do.
Now is the time to do
without declaring, because
every incomplete deed
renders every corresponding
word worthless,
because words are of
little note — and of even
less remembrance — in
contrast to what we can do
without saying a word.
I have said too much
already, more perhaps
than some may want to
read and others may care
to know.
The last word belongs
to the monument we
resolve to build. It will
echo throughout Malibu,
until building begins anew
and new buildings rise
from the beaches and the
hilltops. It will resonate
throughout our community,
until we silence the
word with the sound of
construction, until what
we hear is not a summons
to do but a reminder to
finish: to complete the
work — to have a collection
of works — so people
can say we did what we
said we would do.
The work can renew
us, while the works can
rejuvenate our city.
The work sustains us.
It fuels the mind and
fills the spirit.
It is why we dream.
It is why no dream is
too great — and no challenge
is too grand — if we
have the will to endure.
May we never stop
dreaming — and doing —
until the fates compel us
to sleep.
Ashley’s Angle is a monthly
column from Malibu resident
Ashley Hamilton. Hamilton
is an artist and father who
seeks to express the truth
through his work. Ashley’s
Angle will cover issues and
politics which are relevant
to the Malibu community at
large. The opinions of this
column are that of the writer.
They do not necessarily
reflect those of the Malibu
Surfside News.
Andy Lopez
Contributing Columnist
Invisible Gardener
Happy New Year,
everyone! Let’s go
forward!
It is indeed so sad to see
so much destruction right
in our own community.
What can we do to maintain
balance? What can we do to
increase happiness? What
can we do to increase love?
There are many things
we can do. In my opinion,
loving the Earth and caring
for the planet is the answer.
Humans have been the
worst gardeners of the
Earth. We have basically
destroyed the Eden we find
ourselves in. The diseases
and destruction and unnecessary
suffering must stop.
We can make the changes
we need to allow the living
beings on this planet,
including us, to survive in
peace.
Climate change is a
normal process, but climate
destruction is not. We have
caused massive changes in
our environment, starting
with the trees.
Clean air, clean water,
clean soil, clean, healthy
food, clean oceans, and
clean, healthy Earth are all
vital.
We must wake up and
smell the burnt coffee!
OK, now back to Earth.
Many folks have been
asking me the same things:
“How can I tell if my
tree(s) are alive?” and
“What do I do to help my
property recover?”
First and foremost, property
owners must wait for
anything that just burned
down to be adequately
cleaned up and anything
toxic to be appropriately
removed.
I have been to several
burned properties to test the
air quality, and after just
three such visits, I found
myself very sick! And this
is with me wearing an N95
mask! I was ill for a week,
and I am now weaker for
it. So, the answer is to stay
away as long as you can.
So, to answer the first
question, I would not be
in such a hurry to see if
your plants are alive or
not. If they are alive, the
proof will show itself soon
enough. Let them rest
during the next month. Let
it rain and water the soil.
Let them recover from the
shock. If they are alive, it
will be easier to see in February
and in March. This
month, I would prune back
any dead parts. Just prune
back until you see it’s alive.
If you do not see anything
active, then I would still
give the fruit tree another
month after pruning back.
Many times the trunk and
root systems are still alive.
This will have new shoots
when it starts to warm up
a little. Since our days are
warm, this will happen in
February.
There also are some
things that I would to the
soil starting now.
I would remove any dead
trunks, plastic, etc. from the
top layer of soil.
I would apply a small
layer of the following rock
dust pelletized blend: gypsum,
soft rock phosphate
and azomite.
If you can, order several
other varieties of rock dust
from various different
sources. You can get an
idea of the sources available
by using the internet to
search for rock dust sources
in the U.S. There are several
sources in California
from which you can order.
Green Thumb Nursery in
Ventura has a large section
of rock dust (thanks to me
asking them for it over and
over) that you can use.
I am always looking for
sources of pelletized animal
manures. I found one
source in Santa Monica at
Armstrong Garden Centers
on Wilshire Boulevard. It
is an organic, pelletized
chicken manure. They also
carry a wide variety of
mineral sources, some rock
dust and some oyster shell,
etc.
Both of the nurseries I
mentioned above carry a
line of microbial products.
I would buy whatever they
have! The trick is not just to
apply rock dust, but also the
microbes that eat it.
Try to get everything in
a pelletized form since it
makes the application much
more manageable. You only
need a minimal amount
applied everywhere there
is soil. I would say that a
40-pound mix of both rock
dust and the animal manure
will do for 5 to 10 acres! A
little bit will go a long way.
I would then apply a
small layer of live compost.
There are many compost
resources to choose from.
Try Peach Farms or Organic
Solutions. They have
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