The Bloomin' Bloom

(All pics. snapped on 5/03/13 & 5/04/13 - using an iPhone and Instagram filters) 

Here in Winchester, Va. - there is an annual event that pretty much consumes the city for the duration of an entire weekend - it's called The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.

I myself, have never been a huge fan of Apple Blossom (for all sorts of different reasons, with which I shall refrain from boring you right now) - and so for many years, I've made it a point to avoid the derned thing like The Plague.

This year, however - there was little that I could do to escape the Apple Blossom mayhem...as I have recently moved into a house that is situated right where AB activity is highest...

...and although making plans to be out of town should've been an option (and probably will be what I do in the future)...

...two things kept me from flying the coop this year:

1.) My dog just had major surgery, and because she still needed a ton of supervision - I couldn't be away from her for very long at all.... 

...and...2.) It was my weekend to have my kids, and (lovers of all things Apple Blossom that they are) they were insistent that we stick around in order to partake in all of the merriment (ugh), especially now that we live in at the very epicenter of where many of the Apple Blossom activities take place.

Soooo...I figured, rather than getting all in a wad about being forced to endure something that, under most other circumstances - I absolutely would not...

...why not instead seize the once-a-year opportunity to wend my way through the absurdly congested sidewalks and streets, taking pictures of rare vignettes with my phone...

...and I have to admit - doing so actually made me sorta, kinda start to like Apple Blossom...juuuuust a leetle...