I've started this year's trip

I had to wait until Saturday to have Olivia serviced. My fault as I was very late thinking about it due to the long, cold winter. As soon as she was ready I started off up the Grand Union through the Buckby Locks. Moored up about 8.30pm and it was a muggy evening. Within a short time we had the first storm of the season with torrential rain but I was nice and cosy inside Olivia. Sunday started with not a bad morning and I went on up the Leicester Arm to queue for Watford Locks. Had to let 4 boats come down but then we were very quickly through. I pressed on through Crick Tunnel and moored just the other side. Crick has a handy co-op stores so I topped up provisions but does not have a good mobile internet connection! We had some showers just after I moored up but it remains warm and soon dries. Monday was a greyer day but still reasonably mild so I continued up as far as Foxton. There was very little boat traffic and it rained on and off. I moored up by Bridge 60 ready for the locks next day but still unable to get broadband, so no blogging. With no blogging and no TV it was easy to get on with my marking :-). I awoke to rain on Tuesday but when it eased off a bit I joined the queue for Foxton Locks (my first time through them). Just an hour's wait while a couple of boats came up and then we started down. It rained most of the time so I always take my time so that I don't slip getting up and down the ladders, etc. Did the first set of five on my own and soon found myself a system that worked. When the lock keeper realised I was single handed he helped me down the last five (and it was quicker with his help). Have to go back into work for a few days now, so walked into Market Harborough and got buses back to Weedon to fetch the car. When I got home I found that the electricity had tripped and all the food  in the freezer had thawed. It was so "warm" that I think the storm must have tripped it. That's the second time I've had the system trip and BOTH times I've been away.