BEDFORD — Last November, 8-year-old Cub Scout Ian Carter ventured into his back yard and saw something shiny out of the corner of his eye. It turned out to be a deflated blue balloon with a message attached.

Carter took it to his dad, Pack 5 Cub Scout Den Leader Chris Carter, who read aloud: “Bruce Collins Elementary School Girl Scouts. Please email us to let us know where you are.”

Carter made contact right away, discovering the balloon had come from a Girl Scout group in Sterling Heights, Mich. As part of the yearly opening ceremony, the group had released 52 balloons into the air. That was on Nov. 18; a day-and-a-half later, the balloon turned up in Bedford.

Carter would later consult with meteorologists who said the balloon had likely traveled along the western portion of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario before crossing into Canada and making its way back into the United States.

It then went through Vermont's Green Mountains and New Hampshire's White Mountains before concluding the 700-mile journey in Bedford.

The balloon landing started a connection between the Bedford Cub Scouts and Sterling Heights Girl Scouts.

Tuesday night, the two troops shared a video conference call, giving the boys a chance to participate in the girls' closing ceremony.

“I'm glad that we found the balloon that the Girl Scouts sent up and, well, we found it,” Cub Scout Scott Senatore said.

Scout Aodhan O'Leary shared his excitement.

“This is my first Skype call; it's awesome,” he said.

The chances that the balloon would land in the yard of a Boy Scout leader?

“Very small,” proposed one scout.

“One in a hundred,” said another.

“One in a million,” shouted the father of one of the boys.

Colby Martineau said he'd never done something like it before.

“I liked how we got to talk to the Girl Scout troop in Michigan, and how we actually got to talk to them and see them in two different places,” he said.

On the other end of the video chat were some 200 girls in grades one through six, filling a gymnasium. In spite of a spotty connection, the girls cheered in approval at the Cub Scouts' comments.

One girl asked Carter whether he likes his troop.

“Of course I like my troop,” he replied, “they're the best troop alive.”

Carter said he hopes the two scout groups will continue to stay in touch.

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Simon Rios may be reached at srios@newstote.com.