A little rain before the ACL Fest

Chris Jurgenson uses a newspaper as cover from the rain while waiting in line for Austin City Limits Music Festival wristbands at Zilker Park on Monday Sept. 28, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

There was a brief shower while people waited in line for their ACL Fest wristbands today.  But if the weekend weather forecast  holds true this year’s ACL Fest should be one of the best  with highs in the mid- 80s and a slight chance of rain.   The brand new grass at Zilker Park is icing on the cake.

Jay Gordon, right, head mechanic at Blackout Signs and Metalworks of San Marcos, and Blackout employee Wes Bingham, left, install the marquee at the rear entrance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on Monday Sept. 28, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas crushes UTEP 64-7

Texas' Malcolm Williams hits UTEP punter Greg Hiett in the first quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 26, 2009. The play led to the Longhorns' first touchdown. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

UT assistant coach Duane Akina celebrates with safety Ben Wells and Blake Gideon after Wells got a third quarter interception against UTEP at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 26, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas running back Vondrell McGee runs for a second quarter touchdown against UTEP at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 26, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

UT quarterback Colt McCoy celebrates with wide receiver Dan Buckner after they connected for a second quarter touchdown against UTEP at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 26, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

UT cheerlader Jonathan Richardson does a backflip during the fourth quarter of the Longhorns' 64-7 win over UTEP at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Friday Sept. 26, 2009. The Texas cheerleaders do one backflip for every UT point after each score. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

International Day of Peace

Heidi Turpin marches with a dozen members of Code Pink in a solemn procession from City Hall to the Congress Avenue Bridge on Monday Sept. 21, 2009, the International Day of Peace. They were mourning all of the deaths in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas Longhorns get their revenge

Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle sacks Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts in the fourth quarter of Texas' 34-24 win at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. A national television audience and a record crowd of 101,297 spectators watched the Longhorns get their revenge. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts lays on the turf after getting sacked by Sergio Kindle in the fourth quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas head coach Mack Brown celebrates during the fourth quarter against Texas Tech at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas wide receiver John Chiles runs over Texas Tech’s Brian Duncan in the second quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy passes against Texas Tech in the fourth quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Texas defensive end Eddie Jones tackles Texas Tech's Eric Stephens in the fourth quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

UT sophomore Tim Liu celebrates the 34-24 win over Texas Tech at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday Sept. 19, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Aspiring pro finally passes golf exam

 

Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

For years Jonathan Abbott dreamed of being a golf professional.  But first he had to pass the PGA’s Playing Ability Test.  Seven times he tried and failed.  On Monday at the Barton Creek Lakeside course near Spicewood he finally beat that darn test.   Read Kevin Robbins’ feel-good golf story and watch the video.

Rain keeps coming

 

First it won't rain at all, and now it won't stop. Ryan Becher, 6, uses an oversized umbrella to keep dry at the 7th Annual Keep Austin Weird 5K in downtown Austin on Saturday Sept. 12, 2009. Rain continued in Austin for a third straight day. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Austin firefighters remember 9/11

 

As a memorial to the New York City firefighters who died on 9/11, forty-five Austin-area firefighters silently climbed106 flights of stairs – the height of the World Trade Towers - at the Austin Fire Department’s Pleasant Valley Drill Tower on Sept. 11, 2009. Left to right, Harold Mican, Colin Camp, Tracy Barnes, David Skowron and Thayer Smith pause after their tribute. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

 Watch the video here.

Rain and cooler weather returns…

… and it feels so good!

 

University of Texas students walk in the rain on Thursday Sept. 10, 2009. Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Go Dawgs

 

My son's youth football team got a new banner with a velcro seam down the middle that's supposed to split open when the team runs through it for their dramatic entrance. Well... too much velcro. They couldn't bust it open. Photo by Jay Janner

Might as well jump

 

Derak Brown, 19, jumps from the Pfluger pedestrian bridge into Lady Bird Lake on Sunday Sept. 6, 2009. Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman