Spider-Man hero: An Indonesian man discovered that a Spider-Man costume can attract a lot of positive attention. Rudi Hartono, of Parepare, South Sulawesi, was concerned about all the litter in the streets, and he took it upon himself to go on clean-up missions. However, no one else followed his example until he dressed as Spider-Man. He had purchased the costume to amuse his nephew, but decided to wear it while picking up garbage. People took notice and started joining him in his endeavour. Since then, he has become a bit of a superhero in his community.

Ball catcher: Many dogs like to play catch, but one Labrador retriever, named Finley, can’t get enough of it. Finley lives in Canandaigua, New York (U.S.), with his human family, the Molloys. He has fine-tuned his catching skills to the point that he can fit six tennis balls in his mouth without help from his human playmates. When he was two years old, he could pick up four balls; eventually he graduated to five, and then to six. Finley looks a bit odd with all those balls in his mouth, but his family is convinced he is proud of his unusual talent. See Finley in action at www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Birds of a feather: An artist from Bogotá, Colombia, wanted to learn about nature, so she started by observing and studying various species of birds. This led Diana Beltran Herrera to the art of making beautiful and precise life-size sculptures of birds from basic materials, such as paper and wire. She creates a form for the bird and then cuts and glues paper feathers to the form. She paints each creation so that it looks real. Her work includes pelicans, roosters, parrots, sparrows, and many more. Over time, Herrera has managed to create sculptures representing over 100 bird species.

Key conundrum: It’s not unusual for people to lose their car keys. They might leave them in a restaurant or accidentally drop them on the ground. But not many people lose their keys the way Jovino Huerta lost his. Huerta is a political candidate in Huánuco, Peru. While campaigning, he decided to hand out key chains with the phrase, “Vamos Peru!” Unfortunately, in the excitement of meeting people and shaking their hands, Huerta gave his own keys to someone by mistake. He explained his plight on social media, hoping that they would be returned. No word on that yet.

Pen art: Most people use a ballpoint pen for taking notes. Not Samia Al Homsi Dagher of Tripoli, Lebanon. This talented artist, who is also a software engineer, uses the ubiquitous writing instrument to create beautiful and realistic portraits. The illustrator has had lots of time to hone her skills; she was only five years old when she started drawing. Now, she is well-known for her work and receives commissions from many individuals, including celebrities, as well as average folk. That’s because her work is so precise that the portraits could be mistaken for photographs.

Icky desserts? How would you feel if you were presented with a dessert that looks like a kitchen sponge topped with a sudsy soap bubble? Or beans on toast? However, if the dessert is made by British chef Ben Churchill, you’d be wise to overlook the illusion and take a bite. That’s because Churchill’s creations are sweet treats. For example, the beans are made of marzipan and sit atop a cake drizzled with a sweet orange-red syrup that appears to be ketchup. The kitchen scrubber is really an olive oil sponge cake topped with green mint crumbs, with sweet milk foam as soapsuds. It’s a weird but interesting hobby! See the “icky desserts” here: www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Bottle cap art: A Russian grandmother discovered a unique medium with which to make her art: plastic bottle caps. Nina Krinitsina, of the village of Makarye, designs mosaics using caps of different colours. She displays the mosaics on the walls of her house and in her garden, and passersby have noticed. To get the caps, Krinitsina searches for discarded bottles. She will even go on searches at the town’s landfill site to find them. The artist’s subject matter leans towards Russian folktale and cartoon characters. She is so prolific that families bring their children to view her works, bringing bottle caps as payment.

Blue man: A Canadian man really likes the colour blue. In fact, Donnie Snider of Scarborough, Ontario, likes a certain hue of blue so much that he decided to tattoo his whole body with the colour. Formerly a forklift driver, Snider now makes and sells jewelry, but he’s also spent a lot of time tattooing himself. He started by asking his sister to tattoo some blue onto his leg. After that, he decided to become a complete non-conformist. He slowly, but surely, completed different portions of his body, including his hands and face. Needless to say, Snider attracts attention from friends and strangers alike.

Avocado creations: You’ve never seen an avocado like one carved by Daniele Barresi of Bagnara Calabra, Italy. The food sculptor got interested in carving at a young age, and he has tried many mediums, including soap and resin. But it’s the carvings he creates in avocado halves that really attract attention. He turns the soft flesh of the fruit into detailed representations of flowers, vines, fruit, faces, and animals. Sometimes the pit is kept in place and carved as well, becoming part of the picture. Other times, the pit is discarded to make room for another unique scene. Whatever the case, this art is edible! See them here: www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Fantastic fondant: Lots of people love cake decorating, but China’s Zhou Yi takes the craft to the highest level. Known as “Sugar King,” this creative artist makes intricate sculptures out of fondant. The figures he makes might be empresses, warriors, or fairies. Every eyelash is created individually, and the folds in clothing are draped realistically. Zhou Yi started by modelling dough, but got bored. He discovered fondant and realized it was the medium he needed to extend his creativity to more elaborate works. Today, Sugar King is well-known around the world, and his creations are very expensive.

Big book: Paper-making experts Bela Varga and his son Gábor Varga, of the tiny village of Szinpetri in northern Hungary, made what is thought to be the world’s largest handmade book. The duo’s book measures 4.18 x 3.77 metres (13.7 x 12.4 ft.) and weighs 1,420 kilograms (3,130 lbs.). Its 346 pages are filled with information and photos about the flora and fauna of the region. On display at the Szinpetri paper mill, the book had to be lowered into place with a crane. So as not to rip the paper when reading, six people are needed to turn one of the enormous pages. The name of the book is Our Fragile Natural Heritage. See it here: www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Magical place: Off the west coast of Scotland lies the Isle of Skye, on which is a magical place called the Fairy Pools. Located near the village of Carbost, the pools contain crystal clear turquoise waters. There are numerous small waterfalls that flow from one pool to another. Surrounding the Fairy Pools is a craggy range known as the Cuillin Mountains. Visitors can swim in the pools, but the water is cold, so a wetsuit is recommended. To get to this natural wonder, it is necessary to hike through the Glen Brittle forest, but visitors say it’s worth the effort!