We recognized George Washington’s birthday last Monday and I noticed his diary entries of weather observations and experiences. With other types of weather instrumentation available, Washington held an allegiance to a weather vane that still serves atop the cupola of Mount Vernon. Given to him by Joseph Rakestraw of Philadelphia in 1787 it depicts the dove of peace. Even though the barometer was available, the only other instrument that he used was the thermometer.  His diary noted weather experiences that include days of seasickness on a stormy voyage to Barbados, cruel winters at Valley Forge, and an ill-advised horseback ride in a December storm that caused a sore throat that contributed to his death on 14th day of the last month.