Boisterous crowds, undeterred by buckets of rain, marched the streets of Ottawa for the 2009 Dyke March.

The crowd was smaller than last year — the rest of the pussies stayed at home while the brave walked and danced through puddles.

Shorts and sandals were thrown aside in favour of raincoats, umbrellas and gumboots. At every street corner and every turn the dykes raised their voices and shouted out loud and proud, the message was clear — it's great to be queer.

Women and their allies gathered at the Human Rights Monument before heading down Elgin Street — flanked by roller gals and a small police escort.

It was smiles everywhere as the march made its way through the streets of Ottawa — the only thing missing were spectators, who, not being as adventurous as our gals, obviously decided to stay indoors.

The march finished with a barbeque adjacent to the Jack Purcell Centre and a number of intrepid dykes danced the afternoon away to the music of various dyke bands that included People You Know.