I wrote a few tweets back in 2020-2021 about my dog Trancos. On July 7 of 2021, I let my X-Twitter friends know he had died earlier in the year. Someone reminded me of the final tweet, and I called it up from my X-Twitter feed to remind myself. Trancos was a good fellow, uncalculatingly friendly, as house dogs tend to be. Perhaps God gives us such creatures so we can have something to aspire to in that regard. I include here some of the prior tweets about him. To this day my dog tweets get more likes than anything else I do on that medium. That is good for me, we mustn’t take ourselves too seriously.
11-7-20:
Today I got a dog.
Le di el nombre de Trancos (see the Spanish edition of LOTR).
He is from the animal shelter in Brownsville, and I think we’ll get along just fine.
Part Blue Heeler, part German Shepherd.
De naturaleza tranquila.
11-22-20:
He has discovered cushions and divined their purpose.
He presumes use of them to watch me while I’m reading.
I think he will be picking up a book soon.
Trancos’ last name is Perro.
He hears it a lot: Vente, Perro.
1-30-21
Trancos says he worries I’m losing my mind
because I talk to computers,
I get weepy listening to Rocío Dúrcal,
I want him to learn Latin commands, (honestly, he says, Spanish & English are hard enough),
and worst of all, I don’t leave my tennis shoes lying around like I used to.
7-7-21
I haven’t told my Twitter friends.
But in the dead of winter
I lost my dog.
Right before the Texas freeze.
Trancos died, quietly in his sleep.
The vet said could’ve been any number of things.
I didn’t even know he was sick.
He was a good dog.
Made me laugh, and walk more.
He didn’t care one way or the other I was a bishop.
That was my favorite thing about him.
It’s strangely hard to lose a dog.
He was the best.
And it’s strangely hard to tell people.
Because you can’t explain it.
I miss him.
I’m glad God thought to make him.
And has him in mind.
+df
19 January 2026
Words and Things 