Look at our house picture taken from high up and looking south.  That picture is at the top of the blog.  It is also the same picture used on the cover of the book.  See that?

Well, when you are looking at the picture, you are looking south.  That means the west is on your right, the east is on your left.

Last night the sun set in the east.

I know………..how crazy is that!

“Dave, it is NOT crazy, it is IMPOSSIBLE.  Don’t talk nonsense.  I will stop reading you…….hmmmmm…nonsense hasn’t stopped me yet……..but don’t push it!”

I know.  But, this time, we can blame Sal.  “Sweetie….come outside for a sec.  The sun is setting in the east!”  

I went outside and there along the entire eastern sky was a red sunset-like band of light running the entire length of the island – north and south and ending so far down the coast that it could only be caused by the sun.  Same dimensions as a sunset, too…you know….a large portion of the sky all reddish and pink?

So, I looked to the west.

The west horizon was dark.  And, the further west you looked, the darker it seemed to become.  It was not black.  Just grey going to darker grey.  Overhead was clear.

This typical-looking sunset ‘effect’ was clearly, emphatically and undeniably in the east.  (But it was Sal who reported that – just for the record.)  Normal levels of darkness and nothing like any ‘light’ was coming from the west.  None.  Like, NO SUNSET in the west tonight!

In 68.5 years, I have never seen that phenomena.  Seen Northern lights, the green nano-flash in the pacific ocean at the ‘magic time’ and I have even seen St Elmos’ Fire. But I ain’t seen the sun set in the east.

There is, of course, some simple scientific explanation.

Professor: “The sun sets in the west, class.  You can count on that like death and taxes.  In the described example before me, I have concluded that the observer is either insane or else the sun was already down in the west (accounting for the west being dark) but that light ‘bounced’ off of some very much higher clouds and sorta back lit the eastern clouds in question.  We call this the Bounce-Lit theory but it is a rarely studied phenomena mostly because of the questionable credibility of those reporting seeing it.  Like UFOs.  They don’t exist either, by the way.  Neither does Elvis.  Not anymore. Any other questions?  Yes, David?”  

Me:  “It was Sally who reported it, sir.  Sally.  She’s nuts!  I don’t know her!”