As I sit typing the masterful work before you, I am a man distracted. You see, there is a movie on in the background. Actually, calling it a movie is a bit unfair. Really, it is a film. Not just any old film, mind you. No, I am watching “Long Weekend,” the Australian nature-themed horror classic from 1979. In this particular gem, a rather unlikable couple goes on a camping trip. After they kill a kangaroo, litter egregiously and are just generally insensitive toward the environment, the environment takes revenge.

If you know anything about Australia and the manner of flora and fauna that dwell there, “Long Weekend” can easily be confused for a nature documentary. If you have ever seen this cinematic treasure, you will know that, under normal circumstances, this is the worst possible thing to be watching while trying to write a story about a nature walk at the Curry Creek Preserve. As best I can recall, circumstances were about as normal as they get.