Friday Smiles 303: The Museum of World Treasures, part 1

I'm joining Annie's Friday Smiles and this week we are visiting a new museum.  It's not really a new museum, because I've been here before.  However, for this visit, I'll be checking out some areas I've never seen before.  But first, let's start with a few funnies I found when I was cleaning my office last year.

A couple decided to go to Cyprus for the weekend, but because they both worked it was hard to coordinate their diaries. So they decided the husband would go a day early, and his wife would join him the following day. On arriving, the husband thought he would email his wife from his laptop, but he accidentally incorrectly typed her email address and sent it off without realizing.
      
A widow had just returned from her husband's funeral. He was a minister of many years who had been 'called home to glory' following a heart attack. The widow checked her e-mail, expecting messages from relatives and friends, but instead found this:
      
      To: My Loving Wife
      From: Your Departed Husband
      Subject: I've Arrived!
      
I've just arrived and have checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was. (P.S. Sure is hot down here!)



One afternoon, this guy drives down a highway to visit a nearby lake and relax. On his way to the lake, a guy dressed from head to toe in red standing on the side of the highway gestures for him to stop.
      
The guy rolls down the window and says, "How can I help you?"
      
"I am the red jerk of the highway. You got something to eat?"
      
With a smile on his face, the guy hands a sandwich to the guy in red and drives away. Not even five minutes later, he comes across another guy. This guy is dressed fully in yellow, standing on the side of the road and waving for him to stop.
      
 A bit irritated, our guy stops, cranks down the window, and says, "What can I do for you?"
      
"I am the yellow jerk of the highway. You got something to drink?"
      
Hardly managing to smile this time, he hands the guy a can of Coke and stomps on the pedal and takes off again. In order to make it to the lakeside before sunset, he decides to go faster and not to stop no matter what.
      
To his frustration, he sees another guy on the side of the road, this one dressed in blue and signaling for him to stop. Reluctantly, our guy decides to stop one last time. He rolls down his window, and yells, "Let me guess. You're the blue jerk of the highway, and just what the heck do you want?"
      
"Driver's license and registration, please."



 The homeowner was delighted with the way the painter had done all the work on his house. "You did a great job." he said and handed the man a check. "Also, in order to thank you, here's an extra $80 to take the missus out to dinner and a movie."
      
Later that night, the doorbell rang and it was the painter. Thinking the man had forgotten something he asked, "What's the matter, did you forget something?"
      
"Nope." replied the painter. "I'm just here to take your missus out to dinner and a movie like you asked."



A guy was very much in love with a beautiful girl. One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses, one for each year of her life.
      
That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning.
      
As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet.
      
The poor guy never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.



Farmers Fred and Luke were fishing on the side of the road. They made a sign saying "The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!," and showed it to each passing car.
      
One driver that passed didn't appreciate the sign and shouted, "Leave us alone you religious nuts!"
      
All of a sudden they heard a big splash.
      
Fred grinned at Luke. "Do you think we should just put up a sign that says 'Bridge Out' instead?"


Now let's head to OUR destination!

Today we are

returning to

the Museum of World Treasures.  It was my foodie friend Sally's choice of how we would spend Smithsonian Day, the one day of the year this museum is free if you get a ticket from the Smithsonian website.

It is located in Old Town which is about seven or eight miles from my home, in case you are interested.

It was shortly after noon when we arrived and we found the weekly Farmer's Market vendors were tearing down their tents and preparing to go home.

I knew it was too late to shop, and I was glad, since Sally is hard pressed to tear herself away from homemade goodies.  Surrounding the museum are these informative areas where you can sit and learn about what industries were started in what year in Wichita, KS.

I think this is my favorite of all the sculptures.

I suspect it's because I have a pair of those ice tongs (only much smaller, of course).  Since  you can't really see anything,

I tried to lighten it in Photoshop.  Is it just me, or do you also  like how they represented the ice being picked up by the ice tongs?

Yet another sculpture too shady to make out that I lightened in Photoshop.

It's amazing how different the sculptures look when shown in full sun. 

I was really miffed that the man placed his sign in front of this one.  It was still there when we went inside.

This one lightened in PS, but the colors were no longer quite accurate.  I like how the "rails" represented the railroad.

This is the latest sculpture showing how Old Town came to be.

This is the other side of the ice tongs sculpture.

Yes, I seem to be enamored with this one!

This is the "sunny side" of the railroad display.

I took this photo,

this photo,

and this photo,

which I lightened in PS, to show how these sculptures were all aligned.

One final look as the vendors at the Farmer's Market pack their wares,

and people

take advantage of these sculptures (lightened in PS).

I asked Sally what she planned to see inside, and she pointed to her earrings, made to represent masks.  Oh look, I even photobombed my own photo, although I assure you, my top doesn't fall that low below my armpit.  Even my camera is distorted.


I realize this photo should be rotated, but I wanted you to see the banner from this direction, rather than how it is hung.



This is the map I got when I entered the area where you normally pay.  It's too bad I had to fold it in quarters, because the area I plan to visit is the 2nd floor with the Military and other 2nd floor galleries.  Now that we've seen the outside, we'll start on the inside next Friday.

As always, I am grateful for your continued visits.  Now let's visit Annie's Friday Smiles, where it never hurts to begin the weekend with a big smile, just like Annie's. Feel free to join in with a post of your own, too.