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The monster of Zincirli, readying to pounce on an unsuspectiing victim. (Right) The remains of a human skull, along with a sword blade. lead the removal. The rest, as they say, is history. As I carefully picked around the damaged skull, I found the tip of what we thought might be a metal object. It turned out to be a short sword, lying under the skull, meaning that we had a warrior grave, which was even more significant. The walls he was lying next to were about 3,000 years old, so he was somewhat younger than that, perhaps 2,500 years old. We'll never know how Bill met his ultimate end, but he has proven to be a most interesting part of the summer session. One day, a shout from the square nearby mine drew me over. A dangerous-looking lizard had appeared. I swear on Bill's grave that this thing could have eaten the town, and then headed to Istanbul for dessert. In fact, I have included a picture here to show you the size of the beast. Look at the rocks that it is resting on! As the terrified locals ran for cover, I warily approached the ferocious monster. Visions of being eaten as a quick snack danced in my head. Where was the army when you needed them? So...... just as in the most famous of the Japanese monster movies, I stared into its evil eyes...and then I scooped it up and placed it on a distant rock pile. If you look carefully, you can see the stitching on my glove. Part 5: The monster of Zincirli There is a variety of flora and fauna in the region, much of it lethal-- or a least harmful. We had black snakes (harmless), striped snakes (deadly), scorpions (very deadly), lizards and plants. Yes, plants. Almost every plant in the region has long spikes, which take a chunk out of your leg as large as a dinner plate as you pass by if you are not careful. Look for the second part of Don Ablett's feature in the summer edition of Sideroads of Halton Hills to be published in late June. 26 S I D E R O A D S O F H A LT O N H I L L S SPRING · 2011 S Expiry date: March 31, 2011