Waning of the night

On Sunday the official sunset here won't be until a few minutes after 8 p.m.
The season of night is over.
True, sunrise that day won't come until 20 or so after 8 a.m., and for a week and a half mornings will be darker.
But with daily daylight gains of over 5 minutes, it won't take long at all before I will again need a pair of shades for the morning commute.
I'm more partial to the late light though. If the sun still wasn't coming up until 9, that would be fine.
The evening light, that's what I'm excited about.
It's strange, as I recall this from last year as well, but it seems that suddenly this week, the season of winter nights abruptly ends.
For the first time since November I can ski 15k after work without the use of a headlamp.
Last week and the week before I was keeping it in my pocket through the beginning of my skis, but I needed it eventually. Prior to that, even though there has sometimes been a tinge of twilight on the horizon, I've always thrown its blueish beam before me and the thought of not was far off.
Now that critical piece of equipment is retired for another year. Even if I didn't start my ski until 7:30, a highly unlikely probability, I'd still be OK.
It all feels a bit confusing; for over a month we've been wrapped in spring-like weather, and then this past week, winter stormed back in with snow, wind and sub zero temperatures.
This year, I never skied under snow laden branches lit by a full moon in -27 degree air, so cold it cracked the cores of old trees, breaking the thick silence only known to nights like those; and I feel a little loss at that.
I'll see you again next season, night.