I think I’d have to say that autumn has always been my favorite time of year. Here in Tennessee it arrives more gently than in my home state of Connecticut, but the foliage can be just as nice. This year we’ve had a bunch of rain, (OK, a little too much rain) but that’s sure to make things pretty in the coming days.

Today I went to the shopping mall in Green Hills. This leaf was in the middle of the street in front of the building as I was leaving. The golden, late afternoon light and the bright color against the gray pavement were striking. I started to walk past, then did a double-take and had to turn around to take a picture with my phone. I wish I’d had my DSLR instead.

Lucas Luhr in the Audi R15 TDI during Friday practice for the 2009 Petit Le Mans (click to enlarge)

Here’s Lucas Luhr again, this time during Friday during practice, Turn 1 at Road Atlanta. The Audi R15 TDI had been freshly polished to a mirror sheen and looked absolutely gorgeous. The sharp-eyed will notice that the car is sporting single dive planes underneath the headlights. In the race, this car ran two for additional grip on the wet track. FYI, I’ve added a lightbox plugin so you can enlarge the picture and feast your eyes on this stunning car.

But wait, there’s more… Here’s a sound clip of several of the cars going by. The Audi is first. Notice how much quieter and smoother sounding it is than the others that follow.

Sounds of the 2009 Petit Le Mans (MP3)

A little while ago there was a bank robbery here in Spring Hill at the Regions Bank. This police helicopter has been circling overhead for quite some time. The local schools are on lockdown. Hope they catch the bad guy soon. Meanwhile I’m glad I have my Kimber at my side. :-)

Shenanigans like this are rare around here, but I guess all it takes is one bank and one idiot.

Update 3:56pm: They haven’t caught the robber yet. From the Daily Herald:

“Officers are seeking an older model white pickup truck with a dark blue stripe down the side. The driver was a white male with sandy hair, wearing black clothing and a black hat. He has a tattoo that covers most of one arm, radio reports said.”

Here’s a link to the Daily Herald article.

Here’s a link to another article about the robbery in The Tennesseean.

Update 5:23pm: This is apparently Spring Hill’s first bank robbery. The Tennessean has another article describing the reaction of the bank’s customers who stopped by the bank afterward and didn’t realize what had happened.

Update 8/14: The Tennessean has an update on the ongoing hunt for the suspect, Marshall Popple.

One year ago yesterday we arrived on the island of Kauai. When we got to our condo in Princeville it was dark outside, but this sight greeted us early the next morning. From our porch we could see beyond the cliffs to the ocean. The air smelled so clean, with just a hint of tropical flowers. A light rain was alternating with sunshine. This rainbow lasted for about 10 minutes as the palm trees waved slowly in the breeze. There were little doves landing on our railing making cooing sounds while obviously waiting for a handout and Hawaiian geese nosing around on the lawn below. It was about as relaxing as it could possibly be.

Adding to the slightly surreal vibe were a young casually dressed Asian couple pacing back and forth on the lawn in some kind of enigmatic ritual. They would begin about 50 feet apart and would then walk very slowly past each other looking straight ahead as if in some kind of trance before turning around again. They did this each morning for the next several days.

Here’s two pictures taken within an hour of each other. It hasn’t decided whether to be winter or spring around here, so we’re getting both at the same time. Sledding, snowball fights and flowers… A perfect combo for a Saturday in March.

This picture makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. This is Chili after she found a marvelously tasty goodie lying on the floor in plain sight. She had retreated to the privacy of the “dog approved” chair to consume her prize when the long arm of the law suddenly appeared.

It was like asking Gollum to hand over the ring, please.

Spied this while walking around the paddock at Road Atlanta. How they get an 1,800 lb. race car into that thing I couldn’t tell you.