The idea behind connections came from the understanding that at certain points in time and in certain locations there was a critical mass of creative talent. Sometimes it is a location that thru the decades has played host to this talent. At other times the location spawns the nuturing of many talents all rubbing elbows with each other. It is a variation of the “6 degress of separation” game. It is also a novel way to teach history in an organic way. No longer should history be taught simply as a timeline to be memorized. Attaching signficance to each entry in the history book and linking it to others is a better way. Think:

Santa Fe – seeing luminaries in Science ( Manhattan project) , Architeture ( Mary Ann Colter and John Meems) and the Arts ( O’Keeffe)

Los Angeles – in the 1960’s

Paris in the 1950’s and the 1920’s

From a time when I lived in Upstate NY

My newest book - Born on 24 is text and photos about Simla, Colorado where I was born and for which Highway 24 runs thru it.

A few more of the Copyright Series - Can’t touch this.  Photos that I’ve had registered to the copyright office in Washington, DC

Once again I got the exposure wrong on slide film - not hard to do but I really ended up missing it by a lot.  I wasn’t paying attention to the over-exposure ( using too fast of a shutter speed) warnings.  But taking the image into BW helped as I didn’t have to worry about hard to correct color shifts.

Other images from the roll that didn’t need much adjusting

This is just a series of photos that I liked enough to actually register them with the copyright office in Washington, DC

Spent tonite at School House Kitchen in Arvada sponsored by Copper Dog Whisky.  The history and technique of Scotch distilling was explained.  We sampled CD straight, as a mixer and it was quite a great experience.

Nice gathering of Porsche enthusiasts and some who are thinking of joining.

2018 Gala for the Wheat Ridge High School STEM program ( Science, technology, engineering and math).  Held at the Forney Transportation Museum. These kids are doing amazing things with hydrogen fuel cells.  These pictures are of items at the museum .  Need to get some photos of THEIR cars.

They had a huge collection of MG cars for their current show.  The airplane is a Fornaire F-1 . A plane that is said to be impossible to stall or spin!

My Grandfather was enamored with the Cadillac brand of cars.  Part of it may also have been that his wife was into ostentatious displays of wealth.  

This is Jesse Nitka,grandpa, with his Cadillac.  This was taken in Chicago.  I’m not sure of the year but I want to say it was 1950.  Then at some point the grandparents moved to Colorado to be closer to their only son, my father.  The picture here is not his actual 1956 Caddy but illustrates the brand

The following generation of Nitkas knew Cadillac as well.  Dad bought a 1963 Sedan deVille used.  It was a behemoth of a car.  The only options for engines was a “puny” 390 cu in V8 or the larger 420 cu. in. V8.  The car had everything.  Electric windows, A/C and the ability to pull a full sized Airstream ( those trailers were lighter but still….)

Fast forward to 2018 and I am now a proud owner of a Cadillac ATS-V which is most decidedly NOT your father or grandfather’s Caddy.  This car is track ready with 454 HP, Head up Display, Recaro race seats,  Performance Data Recorder.

Lafayette, CO. Early AM 3/3/2018 - There is a C & C every weekend somewhere in metro Denver.  The Lafayette gathering is by far the best.  Every time I go I see something that I’ve never seen before.  It’s organized with the police dept. helping keep things civil which has not always been the case with some of the C &. C events - burnouts, fights.  That doesn’t happen here.  Fun to just talk to other gear heads regardless of the marque they are driving.

King of a One Horse Town

109 Palace is the Santa Fe location of the Manhattan Project.  It is also a book about the Manhattan Project from the standpoint of the people who participated in this massive undertaking.  I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in modern history, things nuclear.

Just sent pics out to be printed in a small 5 x 5 book from Artifact Uprising