just far enough in the west

[keannu]

It's always confusing to choose either "exactly" or "only" for the meaning of "just" in various cases, and I'm so curious about native speakers' secret for that. As is the case with other words, it certainly depends on context, I guess.
What is the meaning here then?

st100
ex)The sun was just far enough in the west to send inviting shadows. In the center of a small field, and in the shade of a haystack which was there, a girl lay sleeping. She had slept long and soundly, when something awoke her as suddenly as if it had been a blow...

 

[BobSmith]

[AmE - not a teacher]

Neither of those, I'm afriad. Try:

2 a : by a very small margin : barely <just too late> b : immediately, directly <just west of here>
Just - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

 

[keannu]

Which one do you mean? a: barely or b: immediately? It seems immediately, but still I can't comprehend well the meaning of "just far enough of in the west", does it mean "precisely or right before or after"?

 

[BobSmith]

I see how it can be difficult to tell. But, since you [should] know that the sun and its shadows progress over time, there is only one correct choice. Let's try this:

The sun was by a very small margin far enough in the west to [start to] send inviting shadows.

or

The sun was immediately or directly far enough in the west to [start to] end inviting shadows.

Does that help?