The Goat Herding Family

2nd August 2017 - part 2
The thunderstorm continued for about 5 hours with the rain on and off. We were going to walk the short distance across to the goat herding family but as it looked like it was going to rain again we went in our bus.
On the way Kenzo talked us through the do's and don'ts in the family Ger. You must take everything and offer everything with your right hand. Don't point at things with your index finger but use you hand to point. Guests sit on the left hand side of the Ger, although since we are a large group they will then invite some of us on to the right side, the family side. If offered a drink and you don't want to drink it just move it to your lips.
The family consists of dad, mum, three daughters a son, a granddaughter and the younger brother of the mum. The oldest daughter is 16, her baby is 6 months and her husband is away doing his one year national service in the army. The youngest son is 4 months, so he is younger than his nephew.
Inside the lady got out a snuff bottle which was passed around, right handed of course. I don't think anyone took any snuff but everyone just had a smell of it.
The granddaughter was placed on the knee of one of our group and Kenzo translated any questions we had. The Ger is set up at their summer camp, in October they will move it to the winter camp which is more sheltered by the mountain. I forgot to say before all Ger's are set up with the door facing south. This is because in winter the bad weather comes from the north west, Siberia.
Kenzo had brought along some of our gifts, he had selected ones more suitable for the girls, these were presented by a member of our group.
In between the rain we went outside to milk the goats, not wanting to miss out I volunteered first. The lady showed me how to do it and then I had a go and found it easier than I thought to get the milk to flow. I think by her doing it first on the same goat made it easy. Some more people had a go at milking but then the weather changed again and we headed for the bus leaving the family to milk the goats in the rain. If they had not waited for us they could have got the milking done before the rain came back.
We then returned to camp for our second three course meal of the day. We are getting well fed.
The rain has been unusually heavy and some of the Ger's are leaking. That said the goat herding family were happy with the rain as it as been unusually dry recently.
Tomorrow we leave this camp and head to a new one, at least we will know which way is south since all the Ger doors are facing that way.