The Truth About Cholesterol & Statins

The easiest way I found to share the information I have found on cholesterol and statins was to make this Blog post and share it. I found a lot of the information from reading the book Cholesterol Clarity by Jimmy Moore, and this post is from that book. I would highly recommend you purchase this book and read it for yourself. I have put in links to some of the tests and information, so be sure to click on the highlights. There are also many articles from other sources on the hazards of taking statins, so be sure to read the whole blog. (Be sure to click on all the blue highlighted links for more info.)

Spots on Jim's Ribs

The following is what I copied from Jim's PET results -- June 19, 2024 through Texas Health:

History: Malignant neoplasm of prostate; elevated PSA.

Findings: Focal intense abnormal increased tracer uptake from midline rightward at ventral mid-prostate gland level.

Frank Wade's Memorabilia, Whitney, Texas

Frank Wade has been collecting memorabilia for many, many years. At 91 years old, he welcomes groups to come and view his collection. It is not open to the public -- he has too many antiques that could be worth a great deal of money, so he is very selective as to who is allowed to come. His collection resides in a very unassuming green building with a stone sculpture of the Baylor Bear out front.

National WASP WWII Museum, Sweetwater, Texas

The WASP program ran from September 1942 to December 1944. The objective of the program was to see if women could serve as military pilots to release male pilots for combat flying and to decrease the Air Force’s total demand on the manpower pool. The program was under the Civil Service Commission with civilian trainees. The National WASP WWII Museum tells the story of the women who made it through the program.

There were 25,000 women who applied, but only 3,000 had their pilot’s license. Of these, 1,830 women were accepted after they met the criteria and passed a physical. In less than 2 years under Jacqueline Cochran and Nancy Love’s supervision, 1,102 WASP flew over 60 million miles in every type aircraft in the Army Air Corps arsenal.

Fort Union National Monument, Watrous, New Mexico

During our stay in Las Vegas, New Mexico, we took a short trip to visit Fort Union National Monument. The end of the Mexican American war in 1848 expanded the interests and obligations of the United States. As American Indians and Mexicans defended themselves against the invasion of their homeland, concerns for safety increased among settlers, traders, merchants, travelers, townspeople, and farmers. To protect its new U.S. territory and extend its influence and security to travelers on the trail and to newly arriving American settlers, the United States established Fort Union in 1851.

Van Houton Mine, Raton, New Mexico

The Van Houton Mine remains and ghost town is here on the NRA Whittington property. From the main road, you go to the end and turn left, and keep driving. This road takes you past most of the places for shooting, the cabins and primitive camping. We drove to the mine on Thursday, and I would have gone further, except for Jim getting vertigo. I had parked and started walking to look at some things, and he was looking down on the canyon. We should have kept going to the main mine entrance. We probably won't go back as it's supposed to start raining and since it's a one lane narrow road, I don't want to drive it wet. But, I did find a picture of the mine entrance:

Sante Fe National Historic Trail, Raton, New Mexico

The Santa Fe National Historic Trail runs from Lincoln, Missouri, through Kansas into New Mexico, ending in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It linked routes originally followed by American Indians and Frontiersmen, developing into the most important trade conduit in the United States. The trail played a critical role in the westward expansion of the United States as well as trade relations with Mexico. We first visited the NRA Whittington Center back on August 5, 2018. We just visited again this year, so I have taken the blog from 2018 and incorporated it into this post.

Western Museum of Mining & Industry, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Our last museum while we were in Monument, Colorado was to the Western Museum of Mining & Industry. All of the machines in the museum work and our guide actually turned them all on; some were pretty loud so he did not run them very long.

In 1970, the Museum of the West was incorporated as a private non-profit with a mission to preserve and interpret the rich mining history of Colorado and the American West. The nucleus of the collection was a group of mining artifacts contributed to the museum by Mr. Frederick McMenemy Farrar and Mrs. Katherine Thatcher Farrar.

National Museum of WWII Aviation, Colorado Springs, Colorado

I read that this museum is one that should not be missed, so we made it a point to visit the National Museum of WWII Aviation. It was not just airplanes in the museum, but a history of World War II.

Ghost Town Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado

We arrived in Monument, Colorado on August 6, 2025, for a two-week stay. I had a list of museums to visit but I'm not sure how many we will get to as this place is so crowded. But anyway, the first museum we went to was the Ghost Town Museum, which was created in 1954 to preserve a piece of Colorado’s Wild West heritage. It depicts the town as it was growing back in the 1800s when pioneers learned of gold in California, and the railroad was being built from east to west.

Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody, Wyoming

The last time we were in Cody, Wyoming in 2018 to see the Buffalo Bill Museum our visit got cut short, though I did do a blog post on William Cody himself. This time I picked up on some other exhibits that I don't recall seeing last time. There's not a lot of exhibits, but I wanted to highlight them anyway.  

Plains Indians Museum, Cody, Wyoming

The Plains Indians Museum is another of the museums located within the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The last time we were here we went through this museum, but I did not pay much attention to it nor did I take any pictures. This time though, I decided to take my time in the museum and took pictures to tell the story of the Plains Indians.

Cody Firearms Museum, Cody, Wyoming

The Cody Firearms Museum is located inside of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. In fact, there are five museums within the Center. We were in Cody back in September 2018 and the Firearms Museum was closed for renovation. Jim was really bummed out about that because it was not going to be completed until the following year. In the years since we have traveled all around the country, and we have finally made it back up here to see the museum. 

Buffalo Bill Dam, Cody, Wyoming

We went out to visit the Dug Up Gun Museum but upon arriving there, discovered that it was up two flights of steps, did not have an elevator for Jim, and would not let me take any pictures. So while Jim waited downstairs for me, I checked them out and when I found out that out, we decided not to go see this museum. From there we started driving back toward the campground, but kept on driving and came to an "interesting scene" which turned out to be the Shoshone Canyon. We kept driving and went to see Buffalo Bill Dam, through three tunnels and down to the Dam. We were able to drive through the cones closer to the handicap parking. We still got a golf cart ride up to the museum.

Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

There were a couple of landmarks that the early pioneers used to follow the road west -- first came Chimney Rock and then came Scotts Bluff. Chimney Rock is a national historic site located in the panhandle of Nebraska on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails.

Japanese Hall at Legacy of the Plains Museum, Scottsbluff, Nebraska

There were some out buildings at the Legacy of the Plains Museum that we did not get to the first day we visited. We decided to head back there after our visit to Scotts Bluff NM, but the only building open was Japanese Hall, and that was because there was a Docent in there to talk with guests who came in to see it. She said that her ancestors were part of the Japanese people who settled in Scottsbluff and that her grandparents' picture was on the wall. 

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Scottsbluff, Nebraska

One of the places we wanted to visit while here in Scottsbluff was the Scotts Bluff National Monument. The monument's north bluff is named after Hiram Scott, who was a clerk for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company and died near the bluff in 1828. The bluff served as an important landmark on the Oregon Trail, California Trail and Pony Express Trail, and was visible at a distance from the Mormon Trail. Over 250,000 westward emigrants passed by Scotts Bluff between 1843 and 1869. It was the second-most referred to landmark on the Emigrant Trails in pioneer journals and diaries.

Although called "Scotts Bluff National Monument," the site includes two separate bluffs, "South Bluff" and the northern bluff called "Scotts Bluff." There are five major outcroppings on the bluffs, known as Dome Rock, Crown Rock, Sentinel Rock, Eagle Rock and Saddle Rock. The area between Scotts Bluff and the North Platte River is known as the "Badlands." Wikipedia has a lot of interesting information on the Monument.

Legacy of the Plains Museum, Scottsbluff, Nebraska

We made it to Scottsbluff on July 16 for the week. I had a list of things to see, but we did not get to all of them; it was very hot and we did not want to leave Lucy in the truck too long. Our first stop was the Legacy of the Plains Museum, which told about the people who settled here and the various crops that are grown. Located on the Oregon Trail, the Legacy of the Plains Museum features an impressive collection of pioneer and early community artifacts, antique tractors, and farm implements; an 80-acre working farm; historic farmstead structures; and striking views of Scotts Bluff National Monument. 

Golden Spike Tower, North Platte, Nebraska

We had a good time going to see the Golden Spike Tower. Lucy was even allowed to come in and up the elevator to the outdoor deck and the top where all the exhibits were. The tower was named for the last spike that was put down when the two railroad companies laying tracks from east and from the west officially met at Promontory Point in Utah.  The Golden Spike Tower offers the best view of the world's largest rail yard, the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, where every day approximately 10,000 cars are sorted and sent on to their next destination.

Cody Park Train Museum, North Platte, Nebraska

One of the stops here in North Platte was the Cody Park Train Museum. Took a bit to find it as the address given is not where the museum is actually located. It's actually located inside Cody Park. Once inside the park, Jim found it on Maps and we were able to find it that way. It's not a big museum; there are a couple of trains outside and one that you can walk from one end to the other, plus a small building to look in.

Lincoln County Historical Museum, North Platte, Nebraska

During our stay in North Platte, we wanted to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum, but when they wanted to charge us and extra fee beyond the entrance fee, just to park in their parking lot, we did not stay and instead went to the Lincoln County Historical Museum. This museum highlights the 6 million service men who passed through the Union Pacific Depot aka "Canteen" where they were given food and drink. The book written by Bob Greene Once Upon a Town highlights the North Platte Canteen. Unfortunately, the Union Pacific Railroad tore down the original site of the Canteen, so the information of it is now here at this museum.

Fick Fossil & History Museum, Oakley, Kansas

Another one of our stops while in Oakley, Kansas was the Fick Fossil & History Museum. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest and Vi Fick were the founders of the Museum. The Fick's extensive collection of local fossils and artifacts formed the basis of the museum. They collected thousands of fossils and sharks' teeth in Logan County during the 1960s and 1970s. Vi Fick was also an artist who incorporated these finds into unique folk art pieces, some of which were featured in "Ripley's Believe it or Not!".

Buffalo Bill Cultural Center, Oakley, Kansas

The next stop on our trip north was in Oakley, Kansas. We stayed at High Plains RV Park, which offered us a nice grassy site at the end of the row, so we did not have anyone next to us. The only thing about this part of Kansas is the weather; it can turn in a moment and one night found me out taking the awning down before the rain and hail hit. But other than that, we visited the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center. Oakley celebrates the birthplace of the legend of Buffalo Bill. Why is Oakley the birthplace of Buffalo Bill? Let's find out.

Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City, Kansas

We were able to be in Dodge City, Kansas through the July 4th Independence Day celebration. On July 4 the Boot Hill Museum had many activities during the day, but the best part was the Special Gunfight by the World Famous Boot Hill Museum Gunfighters on Front Street. 

Boot Hill Gunfighters

Dodge City, Kansas & The Trolley Tour

On Thursday, July 3 we were scheduled to take the Dodge City Trolley Tour. We got there a little early so I could go into the Visitor Center and walk around a bit. I did find a couple of the statutes of old time Dodge City Stars but most of them have been removed as they are renovating some of Front Street. I got a picture of James Arness and Doc Holliday. There were only two couples on the tour -- us and one other couple. We had a great guide; been doing this a number of years. He took us all around the city; we listened to a tape of the city and the guide interrupted occasionally to tell us a story of the topic.

Mid-America Air Museum, Liberal, Kansas

While we were in Liberal, Kansas we also visited the Mid-America Air Museum. Jim took his rollator in but when the lady saw him with it, she offered him one of the scooters that they have for guests. It was a good thing that Jim rode that instead of walking as this place was pretty big and there was a lot of walking. The Museum is also a Harvest Host, which means they allow motor homes, RVs, etc. to park there overnight; no hookups so if you don't mind that, it's a great place to park.

Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz, Liberal, Kansas

We are traveling north this summer and our first stop was in Liberal, Kansas to visit Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz. We stopped at the gift shop first to pay for the tour and then went outside to wait for "Dorothy" to come and show us her house and tell us about her trip to the Land of Oz.

Waco Mammoth National Monument, Waco, Texas

We last visited the Waco Mammoth National Monument in 2016, and today we went again with our son and his family while they were visiting over Easter. This time they had a ranger who gave a long talk about the history of the female herd that was found in this spot. The bones were found in 1978 by two men, Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin, while exploring the dry creek bed when they spotted a bone sticking out of the ground. They knew they had found something unusual, so they took it to the Strecker Museum at Baylor University. Strecker Museum staff member David Lintz quickly identified it as part of a leg bone from a Columbian Mammoth.

Waco Suspension Bridge, Waco, Texas

We visited the Waco Suspension Bridge in 2016, but there were no plaques describing some of the exhibits. We visited again today with our family. 

In 1866 the Waco Bridge Company was granted a 25 year charter to build a toll bridge. The charter guaranteed that no other bridge or ferry could be built within five miles. Construction began in 1868 and, after much financial difficulty, was finished in 1870. Bridge traffic included wagons, pedestrians, and cattle herds. Special rates were given to heavy users. From 1875 to 1889 the public agitated for a free bridge, but the company retained its monopoly. Then, in 1889, the bridge was sold to McLennan County which gave it to the City of Waco as a free bridge.

Today the Waco Suspension Bridge serves only pedestrian traffic. It is the centerpiece of Indian Springs Park on the river, and stands as a reminder of Waco’s rich history.

Glen Rose, Texas

Glen Rose, Texas is a wonderful small town 52 miles Southwest of Fort Worth, Texas off of Hwy 67. It has a small town square surrounded by small businesses such as the Pie Peddlers, Shoo Fly Ice Cream Shop, Blackie's On the Square, an antique store, the Somervell Museum, and some clothing stores and restaurants. The businesses come and go as some do not make it and others flourish. It is considered the Dinosaur Capital of Texas, and has more petrified wood in its houses and buildings than the Petrified Forest National Park.

Pacific Combat Zone, Fredericksburg, Texas

The Pacific Combat Zone is part of the National Museum of the Pacific War where you can see what it was really like to do battle in the Pacific islands. They have replicated numerous aspects of the terrain, examples of the trenches and fortified cave positions that the Japanese had created to battle U.S. forces on those islands. Presentations at the Pacific Combat Zone include weapons and vehicles used during the Island Hopping campaign that our forces mounted.

The Avenger

A Legacy of Leadership ~~ Charles W. Nimitz, Fredericksburg, Texas

There is a separate section apart from the Museum with the history of Admiral Charles W. Nimitz that is housed in what used to be the Hotel Nimitz. This post contains some information about early Texas and how the Nimitz family came to be part of Texas history. 

Admiral Charles W. Nimitz (Feb. 24, 1885 - Feb. 20, 1966)

National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas

The National Museum of the Pacific War (NMPW) is recognized today as a world-class, cultural institution. A Smithsonian Affiliate and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, NMPW provides the nation's most comprehensive account of World War II in the Asiatic-Pacific theater (Sept. 1, 1939 - Sept. 2, 1945).

Remaining true to its promise to Admiral Nimitz: to honor all who served and supported the war effort in the Pacific, the Museum proudly presents the facts, stories, and authentic artifacts of the Pacific War for today and generations to come.

Museum of South Texas History, Edinburg, Texas

The Museum of South Texas History is divided into several sections. The first section is called the River Frontier, and illustrates the geological origins of the area, its ancient animals and plants, its native peoples and their encounters with Europeans and the establishment of the region as a frontier of New Spain. Another section is called the River Crossroads, which introduces visitors to the rapid and astounding changes brought to the region during the 20th century. The last section houses the 1910 Jail.

South Texas Motorcycle Museum, Edinburg, Texas

Well, yes, another motorcycle museum. The South Texas Motorcycle Museum is located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. But our favorite is the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina where our friend Andy Norris works. This museum is only one room but packed with enough motorcycles for the public to enjoy ~~ mostly Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles. 

Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, Fulton/Rockport, Texas

The Fulton Mansion was built by George Fulton overlooking Aransas Bay in 1874 and finished in 1877. George Fulton was an important figure in establishing Rockport's shipping industry during the late 1800s. The mansion is a classic example of Second Empire-style architecture and has been well preserved over the decades. Its original name was Oakhurst for the majestic live oak trees surrounding the property.

Texas Maritime Museum, Rockport, Texas

One of our favorite places along the gulf coast is Rockport, Texas. Jim says the city reminds him of Florida of many years ago with the numerous RV parks and houses and businesses painted in turquoise and other "Florida" colors. There are quite a few restaurants, some of which we visited. Also, we went to one museums in the area, including the Texas Maritime Museum to learn more about the gulf coast.

Space Center Houston, Houston, Texas

While our friends from Florida, Bill & Julie Mars, were visiting Houston, and our family, we all went to the Space Center. Even though we have been there before, I am finally getting around to putting a blog together to highlight the exhibits. Unfortunately, the day we chose to go was cold and rainy, so we did not walk through the outdoor exhibits. 

Lone Star Flight Museum, Webster, Texas

Even though we have been to the Lone Star Flight Museum a few times already while visiting Houston, we took our friends Bill & Julie Mars. They are from Sebastian, Florida and drove out to Houston to visit with us as well as our son Josh, Karen and our grandchildren. Josh & Karen had to work a couple of days this week so we went to the museum to show our friends. It's a great museum with lots of airplanes on display that are still being flown today. They are mostly privately owned and are on loan to the museum.