In 2004, I visited the US; it was evening as I prepared to fly out from Denver to Atlanta, and I looked out the window towards the west. Low black clouds hovered seemingly inches above the mountain range, which was almost black as night. The clouds above were the same - but between them, the dying sunlight was blood red, a thin band differentiating the land and sky. And I swear it looked as though I was boarding Mordor Flight 171..