The nest gets emptier again

 At 7:30 this morning we put Thomas on the train for Chicago.  It seems like our Winter semester has been going for weeks, but his doesn't start until Monday.  Here is all that remains:

 This is a backpack he's had since the beginning of high school.  It finally died and here it lies.

I'll miss the little turkey, so help me.  (Thomas, that is, not the backpack.  Thomas makes backpacks last, I'll say that for him.  I think he had the previous backpack right from the first day at Doyle Ryder Elementary.)