I would like to have a column / widget on one side of the header image. Kind of like this site:
http://www.rentnational.com/
Is this possible?

Just add a widget area to the Configure Header Area box with the width of the right widget area set to the width of the right side bar. Then put your header image in the left widget area. For syntax look at the Add New WIDGET AREAS section of Atahualpa.

Thanks, I am almost there (I think). I can't figure out how to get a "block" to the right of the header image.

%logo %pages %bar1 %image <?php bfa_widget_area('name=My widget area&cells=2&align=1&align_2=1&before_widget=<div id="%1$s" class="header-widget %2$s">&after_widget=</div>'); ?>

Here's the test site:
http://www.mjrgrp.com/demo/atec/

Thanks for any help!

Okay, I think I can do this with the Frontpage Slideshow plugin.