As we have traveled across the North American continent working at horse shows and visiting kinfolks I’ve noticed that in the culinary world Mexican food is now totally ubiquitous – and, it can also be found everywhere. This, in turn has caused many Spanish words to become a part part of our otherwise mostly Germanic English language. Here in Texas we sometimes referred to it as Spanglish, and it is certainly a large part of the cowboy vocabulary. 

It starts in the mañana with taquitos for breakfast. Then for lunch enchiladas, frijoles, and tortillas. The kids get Leche and tacos. As you put on your sombrero and walk out the door you might say buenos días to someone you meet, and invite them to join you for a cerveza later. In the evening you could go to see the rodeo, and see the vaquero get bucked off his caballo and land on his cabeza. Then afterwards you go to the baile that’s part of the fiesta, and have some more cerveza and possibly eat some fajitas. On the way home driving through the Arroyo and up onto the Mesa you see vacas and the lights of the motel on the edge of town called La Quinta, which means in English – next to Denny’s.