Call of the wild

My sleep has been broken over the last few nights by shrieks and blood-curdling howls. No, not by the usual Drylaw wildlife - the kids have been quite quiet recently! The foxes are back. I don't know if this is the mating season or not - I don't know if foxes have a mating season, but the darkness has brought a lot of activity. When I got home last night I was met by an older fox standing in my front garden. My presence didn't seem to disturb the animal either; he or she just kept a wary eye on me as I got my keys out, then it strolled off (do foxes stroll?) into the back garden.
A couple of years ago I had the real pleasure of a vixen bringing up a pack of five or six cubs almoist right on my doorstep. The fox family had made their home in my back garden under the hedge, and every day - usually at first late and then again in the late afternoon - you could watch the cubs playing under the wachful eye of their mother. It was fascinating to observe - the wee ones were so full of energy and fun. I think th young ones got quite used to my company - sometimes they would come to within a few feet of me. They were a bit too inquisatibve for Mum's liking, though, and one yelp from her would have them all scampering off to safety.
I know how dangerous foxes can be to domestic pets, but I'd love to watch another family growing up in the garden.

Running on Empty
Big news of last week was the strike at Grangemouth, which went ahead at the weekend. It strikes (!) me that key industrial installations like Grangemouth just shouldn't be left to the management of the private sector. I know nationalisation is as popular these days as The Black and White Minstrel Show but I reckon key utilities like gas and oil should be protected under public ownership - ensuring a regular supply and also doing away with the obscene profit these privatised industries make (and pump into the blaoted bank accounts of their big business shareholders). As I said last week - capitalism isn't working.

Hibs fall at the final hurdle (just for a change)
Hibs defence isn't working, either. I've moaned all season that our full-backs just aren't good enough and so it's proving. Even the return of Rob Jones wasn't enough to save Hibs up at Aberdeen on Saturday, and defensive frailties - and an infuriating lack of discipline through petulant dissent - has almost certainly meant that Hibs European dream is over. You've got to hope that Rob Petrie finds teh keys to the Easter Road petty-cash box over the summer - some of the current squad are liabilites, and while it would be plain daft to think that we can compete with the Old Firm, we should be achieving more than we are - third place should be a realistic target for a club of Hib's size, particularly given Heart's current woes.
Talking of the Old Firm, all credit to Celtic for keeping the title race alive with their victory yesterday. I still can't see Rangers letting it slip - although the fixture pile-up and loss of key personnel through injury and suspension won't help - but at least Celtic have given their fans something to smile about.

Counting Down
This week we've got the English and Welsh local elections on Thursday, along with the London mayoral election. Strangely, I don't think the results will be too bad for Labour - but that's only because the party took such a hiding last time round, when the elections were held at the time from anger over the Iraq War was at it's height. Quite simply, there are not too many more seats to lose. Be prepared for the well-used cliches 'mid-term blues', 'bloody nose', 'we've listened to waht teh voters are tellign us', 'we'll learn lessons from this', 'these results are are one-off and won't be repated in the General Election', 'a chance to kick the government' etc, etc.
Meanwhile in the BIg Smoke, they say it's too close to call. Ken Livingstone, the wily old fox, is cleverly talking up Boris Johnson's challenge in the hope that his support will take the threat seriously and crucially get out and vote. My guess is that he'll hold on - and naturally the Tories will say that Londoners voted for Ken, not the Labour Party. Sometimes in politics, even when you are the victor you just can't win!