It'll be a cold day in hell before we stop Dyngus-ing.

That should be the clan motto. At least for the 2001 Dyngus Day festivities. We had a good showing at the start of the day. Of course, we spent a lot of the time hunkering in the shed.

It's good to see that The Martyr and the King's hussy are getting off to a good start.

Here we see the Martyr do his best to talk a neophyte in the ways of Dyngus into a Dollar Bet.

Here we see that the Wuss Bird of Dyngus and the Martyr seem to be farther along in the celebration than the rest. Heck, it looks like they might actually be doing some show tunes. I guess the bitter cold was getting to their brains faster than the alcohol.

Ahh, the King out behind the shed with his current concubine. If only they had a little more privacy and some better weather.

It really isn't a Dyngus Day unless a game Royal Croquet is played.

The King, the Martyr, and fellow reveler Laura prepare for the alcoholic onslaught that is Royal Croquet.

While the players mince about in the spring chill we can see the Martyr trying to inject a little levity to the proceedings. It's that or the combination of cold, beer, and show tunes have knocked him off his nut.

Here we can see the Duke, Wuss Bird, and King conferring. If I would hazard a guess I think that the King is making sure that they know that full contact croquet is right out. Of course, the King would be impartial in his deciding this.

Royal Croquet is a fairly simple game. However, the prescence of good drink (along with the unseasonable cold) does confuse the mind. So, the King steps in and makes sure that they understand the rules.

Focus is a critical part of Royal Croquet. The Duke employs all his Dyngus Fu acumen for this shot.

Who is enoying this moment more, Laura smoking the cigarette or Buzz watching Laura smoke that cigarette?

The Ladies of Dyngus. Is there no doubt that they have more sense than the rest of the clan? They took the wise course and headed inside as the day wore on.

We were fortunate to add a few new members to Clan Dyngus. The Scribe (in the sweater) and Courtesan (on the right in the foreground) took part in the initiation. Usually a dousing with water and a shot but this year we decided to forego the dousing and just knocked back some whiskey.

Did I say it was cold? Here's a fine example of the extreme weather the Clan had to endure this year. Aye but we're a hearty bunch, or is that foolhardy?

In any case, we had a great time cold and all and look forward to the next Dyngus Day celebration. Hopefully Mother Nature will smile kindly on us and give us fairer weather.