Freeway "escape ramps"

Why are deer and other wild animals attracted to busy roads? You would think the noise and light and hard pavement would scare them away. But they too often end up being the victims of the unpleasant encounters with cars. It's mostly our fault for invading their territory; so we've tried to prevent the encounters. Fences lining the freeways helped some, but animals still managed to get inside the fences and were trapped there, with predictable consequences.

These "escape ramps" are a clever additional alternative to the problem. I see them along the freeway in southern Utah, positioned every mile or less in the areas where deer migrations occur.

The idea is that a deer gets inside the fence, quickly feeling trapped and terrified. He walks along the fence line looking for a way to get out. He comes to this structure, where the carefully positioned fences force him to climb the small hill. Suddenly, he's high enough to easily jump down to the outside and escape the fence prison.

I have occasionally felt the blessing of an "escape ramp" in life. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations, whether by our own choices or the actions of others, where we are unhappy or afraid, trapped in a place we don't want to be. When we realize that, we should immediately begin to look for an escape ramp. Sometimes it takes a while to find it, so we endure and persevere until we find a way out. But thank goodness for those ramps along the road!

I #GiveThanks for the wisdom of those who seek to protect the beautiful deer. And for the potential I have in life of correcting course, fixing mistakes, and escaping danger.