Favorite Pastime: Sailing

One of my favorite pastimes is sailing. When I was in 6th grade my best friend, Christopher, and I started taking sailing lessons at the Manitowoc YMCA. We learned to sail 8-foot Sinbad dinghies. They had no jib, just a small mainsail and they were like little tubs. Nevertheless, they were an absolute blast to sail around the harbor. We would race each other, catching enough wind to cause our boats to take on water or capsize. We always wore life vests and had supervision, so it was a very controlled environment to experience some would-be frightening moments.

Every summer we would return to the program and as the classes got more advanced the boats got bigger. We moved up to 17 foot Flying Juniors, which were open-cabin 2 person boats. I ended up buying a 12 foot AMF Puffer, like a smaller Flying Junior. It was a great boat, but I sold it for a Precision 18 (eighteen-footer).

I got a job working at the marina during the summers and I sailed before and after my shifts. I eventually sold the Precision 18 to go to college, which I have always regretted.

I hadn't been sailing in ages until 2017 when my Dad found a great deal on a incredible boat. Her name is Omar and she is a 17-foot Holder; almost exactly like my old Precision 18, but one foot smaller.  My wife and I keep her docked on Percy Priest Lake at the edge of Nashville and take her out as often as we can. 

Favorite Pastime: Singing

Singing is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy singing in almost any style, but I am particularly drawn to strong melodies. That being said, I am not much of a harmony singer because I gravitate to the melody.

Growing up in rural Wisconsin, you aren't exposed to much cutting edge music on the radio.  What you do have are oldies, classic rock, country, and metal. My favorite of these would be oldies; hands down. As a kid I couldn't get enough of the fifties music. The Be-Bop-a-Lula's and Dip-Dip-Dip-Dip-Dip-Dip-Dip-Dip's grabbed my attention and never let go. Songs by the Coasters, Dion and the Belmonts, Big Bopper, etc. are some of the first songs I remember singing along to. I'm sure it didn't hurt that there was a major throwback to the fifties during the eighties. 

Soon I was listening to the Beatles, The Mamas and The Papas, and The Lovin' Spoonful. The sixties were an amazing time for arrangements, orchestration, and lyrics. Bands like the Grass Roots and The Association had such a full sound compared to most early and current rock n roll. This is still my favorite era of popular music.

I became immersed in folk music during my college years. Something about moving to the bustling metropolis of Chicago. Singing along to Harry Belafonte's Live at Carnegie Hall is probably the best training any singer could have. 

As an adult, playing out in Colorado I realized my voice lends itself well to country music. I still enjoy singing all styles of music and I occasionally run the gambit at karaoke.

Bill Davis