diff --git a/src/room_control/model.py b/src/room_control/model.py
index 7fca1ed..60da239 100644
--- a/src/room_control/model.py
+++ b/src/room_control/model.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from typing import Annotated, Dict, List, Optional, Self, Union
 
 import yaml
 from astral import SunDirection
-from pydantic import BaseModel, BeforeValidator, Field, model_validator
+from pydantic import BaseModel, BeforeValidator, Field, field_validator, model_validator
 from pydantic_core import PydanticCustomError
 from rich.console import Console, ConsoleOptions, RenderResult
 from rich.table import Column, Table
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class ApplyKwargs(BaseModel):
 class ControllerStateConfig(BaseModel):
     time: Optional[str | datetime.time | datetime.datetime] = None
     elevation: Optional[float] = None
-    direction: Optional[Annotated[SunDirection, BeforeValidator(str_to_direction)]] = None
+    direction: Optional[SunDirection] = None
     off_duration: Optional[OffDuration] = None
     scene: dict[str, State] | str = Field(default_factory=dict)
 
@@ -57,6 +57,17 @@ class ControllerStateConfig(BaseModel):
             raise PydanticCustomError('no_sun_dir', 'Needs sun direction with elevation')
         return values
 
+    @field_validator('direction', mode='before')
+    @classmethod
+    def check_sun_dir(cls, val: int | str | SunDirection | None) -> SunDirection:
+        if isinstance(val, str):
+            print(f'Str sun direction: {val}')
+            return str_to_direction(val)
+        elif isinstance(val, int):
+            return SunDirection.SETTING if val < 0 else SunDirection.RISING
+        elif isinstance(val, SunDirection):
+            return val
+
     def to_apply_kwargs(self, transition: int = None):
         return ApplyKwargs(entities=self.scene, transition=transition).model_dump(exclude_none=True)
 
diff --git a/src/room_control/room_control.py b/src/room_control/room_control.py
index eddfedc..4aa4b81 100755
--- a/src/room_control/room_control.py
+++ b/src/room_control/room_control.py
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ class RoomController(Hass):
                 self, sensor_entity_id=motion['sensor'], ref_entity_id=motion['ref_entity']
             )
 
+        state: ControllerStateConfig
         for state in sorted(self._room_config.states, key=lambda s: s.time, reverse=True):
             if isinstance(state.time, datetime.datetime):
                 t = state.time.time()
@@ -184,8 +185,9 @@ class RoomController(Hass):
             try:
                 attrs = self.state_entity.get_state('all')['attributes']
                 state = ControllerStateConfig.model_validate(attrs)
-            except Exception:
+            except Exception as e:
                 state = ControllerStateConfig()
+                logger.exception(e)
             finally:
                 # self.log(f'Current state: {state.model_dump(exclude_none=True)}', level='DEBUG')
                 return state