As we all know, Homer along with the rest of the country was recently subject to a solar eclipse.

Or did we all know? The Betster wouldn’t blame you for having missed it. After all, the moon may have blocked out the sun on Monday, but the clouds do that in Homer nearly every day anyway.

While Homer wasn’t lucky enough (or unlucky enough, depending on how you look at it) to be in a position to experience a total eclipse, there’s no denying it got a little darker, and perhaps a little weirder, for a while there.

Then again, Homer is already an odd, “unique” sort of place to begin with, so how much weirder could it have gotten, really?

Eclipses have long been known to bring on any number of strange and mysterious phenomena.

One tell tale sign of an eclipse is that your animals may have started to behave in an odd way. Some say they tend to “freak out.” If any of them started talking to you or walking on hind legs, then you were especially affected by Monday’s solar activity.

The climate around us goes a little wonky during an eclipse, too. Not only does the temperature drop, but dew has been known to spring up and the winds have been known to shift in mysterious ways. Not that there’s much to say for solar power in the state of Alaska anyway, but power sources of the solar variety also take a hit when the moon shoves its way in front of the sun. Look at the shadows on the ground during an eclipse, and they come across as bunches of half crescents.

It’s even said the the eclipse can affect our moods and dispositions. If you noticed anyone acting strangely toward you on Monday, it may not have been entirely their fault. While the Betster’s not one to buy into the ancient myths that the sun is being eaten by sky wolves or demons, that’s not to say that everything is completely normal during an eclipse.

In fact, maybe Homerites would do better to abide by a myth from Africa, in which the sun and moon are believed to be fighting during the eclipse, and people encourage them to cut it out by coming together, resolving old feuds and letting go of anger.

Then again, perhaps it’s just as well that Homer didn’t get a good look at the solar eclipse on Monday. That’s several less Homerites who will have damaged eyes from staring up at the sun without protection, at least.

BEST BIZARRE BET: Looking for a weird time to go with the eclipse? Look no further than Very Strange Karaoke. It’s right there in the title. And if you’re not particularly into singing, there are comedy bits occasionally thrown in with along with the music as well. Very Strange Karaoke starts at 10:38 p.m. on Wednesday.

BEST EDUCATIONAL BET: An opportunity to learn about homesteading culture and see a farm in action is coming up with this week’s Thriving Thursday. Otto and Catkin Kilcher will give a tour of the living museum on their 640-acre farm. The event goes from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday.

BEST IMAGINATIVE BET: Those who best know how to think outside of this world are maybe the Live Action Role Players. They meet every Friday from 3-6 p.m. at the Homer Public Library to talks characters, build weapons, make jewelry and practice events. Contact Rowyn Cunningham at 756-3563 for more information.