$(document).ready(function(){

				var imgArr = new Array( // relative paths of images

		'/img/slides/slide3.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide4.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide7.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide9.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide2.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide1.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide8.jpg',
		'/img/slides/slide6.jpg'
					);

				var preloadArr = new Array();
				var i;

				/* preload images */
				for(i=0; i < imgArr.length; i++){
					preloadArr[i] = new Image();
					preloadArr[i].src = imgArr[i];
				}

				var currImg = 1;
				var intID = setInterval(changeImg, 3000);

 function changeImg(){
 $('#masthead').animate({opacity: 0}, 500, function(){
 $(this).css('background','url(' + preloadArr[currImg++%preloadArr.length].src +') top center no-repeat');
 }).animate({opacity: 1}, 500);
 }

			});