In addition to failing to mark either of the anniversaries of the start of the First World War, I missed the 45th anniversary of the moon landing.

So, better late than never, I am noting it here with a picture of a sculpture of the moon on the Physics and Astronomy building at Western University (UWO) in London, Ont.

It’s one of 23 small sculptures surrounding the east entrance of the building. It — along with Old Bill (see previous post) and the other faces there — was identified by Don Moorcroft, emeritus professor of physics at UWO, who photographed and identified most of the figures on that building.

The moon has a companion sun at the west entrance. Prof. Moorcroft explains its presence there by citing a 1924 London Free Press story which reported the stone mason Dan Cree “was surprised one morning by a workman as he was carving the face of a summer sun. ‘What on earth are you putting the face of the sun there for?’ he was asked. ‘Oh, it’s a bit dull this morning,’ was the reply, ‘and I thought I might coax the sun out to see his picture.’ ”

I’m particularly fond of the exquisite sculptures of a Canadian maple leaf and a bunch of grapes: