Whose Leg?

The first leg of my journey is complete. First Leg? Now what does that mean? I've begun a journey by automobile from Richland, Washington, to Los Angeles, California. I am describing my trip in segments and because I am moving from one place to another but not all at one time. You know any journey begins with the first step. So this is called a leg.
You see, in anatomy legs have several parts. Legs begin with a ball joint that fits into the thigh, then the long part that is the thigh bone, then there is the shin bone and finally the foot. All animal legs have these parts in one shape or another. Mammals have similar leg parts that vary from the human foot with five toes to the horse's foot that has one toe. Never the less a leg is one section of a larger entity and can be called a leg. It is bounded by a beginning and an end.
Maybe that is not easily understood but there it is. People use word shortcuts whenever possible. I could say part. The word means the same thing. Certainly leg is more graphic. We associate leg with getting from one place to another so it indicates a journey more readily than part which might mean a cog in a machine or a yummy piece of shoo fly pie.
My plan was to stop at a relative's apartment for the first night – for a friendly visit and to save the cost of overnight housing. The trip was a fine one as car travel goes. I drove on freeways to keep the motor running at a constant speed which I hope saves fuel. Overall speed was not the same – 70 mph in Washington state, 65 mph in Oregon, and less within city limits.
The first leg was a fine example of a healthy limb. I shall sleep to be rested and prepared for the next leg. Follow and see what that brings on the morrow.
Naomi Sherer