Russia's Darya Klishina prepares for the women's long jump qualification during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, August 16, 2016. She might be feeling the pressure of being all alone, but Darya Klishina could yet still win Russia's only athletics medal at the Rio 2016 Games. (Photo by Matt Dunham/AP Photo)

Gold Medalist Kristof Milak of Hungary during the medals ceremony of the 200m Butterfly final on day five of the swimming competition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters)

Poland's Piotr Lisek reacts after competing in the men's pole vault qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. (Photo by Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters)

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic celebrates after defeating Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's singles tennis final match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. (Photo by Yara Nardi/Reuters)

Viktoriia Onopriienko, of Ukraine, performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifier at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, August 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

Italy's Louis Phillip Vito III falls as he competes during the men's halfpipe qualification round at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, February 9, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Francisco Seco/AP Photo)

Many people have seen feathers as decorative items before. Today, ostrich, peacock and bird of paradise feathers can be seen in haute couture and in the costumes of indigenous peoples. They can be colorful and spectacular in their own right, but how much more stunning might they be when used as canvases for artists, eager to demonstrate their talent for the unusual? Alaskan-born and -bred artist Julie Thompson is an astounding exponent of this incredible art form.

A team from Woody's Ice Cream shop wrangle a large inflatable dinosaur down the street during the Independence Day Parade in Fairfax, Virginia July 4, 2015. Americans marched in star-spangled parades, ran relay races, gathered for fireworks shows and crowned a new world hot dog eating champion as they celebrated Independence Day in traditional style on Saturday. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)