Tuesday was another hot day at Bolehill (see link for details of our cottages). First thing I was down to Bakewell to get the final items for the lunch Over Haddon WI were hosting at the Village Hall. Joanna collected me just before 10.30 and we helped set up the hall for lunch. There were five of us helping out and we just managed to get everything ready as the coach turned up half an hour early! Still they all seemed to enjoy the lunch and afterwards we washed up and cleared away the tables and chairs etc. We got back just before 2.30 with guests arriving not long after. Later in the afternoon we packed the rucksacks with a picnic and headed to Over Haddon. Parking in the car park we walked down to the dale. It was dry and the under growth was very overgrown! We walked along the dale to Conksbury Bridge then up to our picnic spot. It was very warm in the evening sun. A Virgin balloon floated by and not long after a micro light headed in our direction and at the same time another balloon suddenly rose from behind the fields. It was very near and Blue starting walking down the hill towards the dale. I thought it was so he could woof at it from a ‘safer’ distance but he just kept on going. Next thing we realised he was gone, the balloon had really spooked him. We gave him a few minutes but when he did not respond to calls or the whistle Chris set off down the hillside with Smudge in tow. Chris got right down to the dale and still no sign of Blue. He talked to various walkers, as did I, and he scrambled up through some trees as well. About twenty minutes later I heard a walker shout to say he was walking along the footpath back to where we were sitting. Then there he was, looking as if he had just been for a stroll. I signalled to Chris who climbed up the side of the dale. I think he was too exhausted to be angry with him. A stop at the Lathkill revived Chris and being a pleasant evening there were a number of villagers there who we knew so we stopped for a few chats before heading home.