Caption for the first pic:
This is one of those classic occurrences in life that just seemed to go wrong even when the intentions were so honorable.
A class of elementary students started a class project to make a ceramic pot with some sort of plant in it to take home. They wanted to have a plant that was easy to take care of, so it was decided to use cactus plants.
The students were given green ware pottery in the style of a clown plant pot. They painted them with glaze and had them professionally fired on a class outing so they could see the process.
It was great fun. The cactus plants grew nicely in the clown pots, but unfortunately the children were not allowed to take them home. The cactus plants were removed and a small ivy was grown to replace them. The children were then allowed to take them home.
The teacher said cactus seemed like a GOOD idea at the time...