“I used to joke that if I had a nickel for every time someone wanted to fix me up, I’d be a rich woman, because no one ever followed through, but she came through for me!” said Heidi, and so the two scheduled a time to meet at a place called Bar Louis.

“The young lady who was trying to find a great person for me struck out twice before, but I thought third time’s the charm and I’d try one more date that she wanted to set up,” added Bob.

It turns out, that the third time is the charm! The couple will tell you they never looked back. There was an immediate chemistry between them, so they spent the day laughing and getting to know each other.

“We had a lot of common interests that felt aligned. We’re both big outdoors people and fitness people who love to travel. All that fit and it’s something that we definitely continue to pursue. From day one, we’ve never been apart and life just continues to get better and better,” shared Bob.

Although neither are from Texas — Bob was born in South Florida and Heidi grew up in Iowa — Bob had lived in Dallas for 20 years at the onset of his career in the equipment leasing sector.

“I always wanted to come back to Texas because I felt Texas was home, but I wanted to be open to other ideas and plans since Heidi and I were a team,” said Bob.

Those that know Bob will tell you he’s one of the most organized, thorough and determined individuals you’ll ever meet. When it comes to his friends, he’s always there for them.

“I’m a planner. In my career, I managed many people and locations in the U.S. and Mexico, and traveled extensively. I learned early on that you need to have great skills like being organized or you can get lost in the shuffle. I’ve just been more successful by having a good plan,” he explained.

Truth be told, if he wasn’t such a good planner, he and Heidi might not have found Cordillera Ranch. Bob’s boss, Bill, was playing golf at Pebble Beach and was paired with several guys who raved about the place they lived called, you guessed it, Cordillera Ranch. Bill shared with Bob how they played golf in the morning, went shooting in the afternoon and had a great dinner in the evening, all on the Ranch. Bob mentioned this to Heidi and filed it away for a future visit to the Texas Hill Country.

While scoping out Austin in 2016, Bob dug up his file and, on a lark, they decided to visit Cordillera Ranch in lieu of a planned trip to Fredericksburg.

“We literally drove in the main gate up to where the old office used to be and we were blown away by the magnificent view. Bob had talked a lot about his time in the Hill Country and how beautiful it was, previously, but for me, it was really my first visit and viewpoint of what the Texas Hill Country was all about,” described Heidi. You might say Cordillera Ranch for both Heidi and Bob was love at first sight.

While Bob is the planner, Heidi is the outgoing, free-spirited adventurer who likes to go with the flow. Also retired, she spent her career as a manufacturer sales rep in the professional salon industry. She, too, traveled a lot for her work and both will tell you that traveling is still one of their top proprieties as a couple. This next year they have plans to visit Italy and New Zealand. Bob’s already started on the spreadsheets and reservations.

“I’m very adventurous,” said Heidi and Bob agreed, “We’re both explorers. We always try different things.”

Bob’s home office can testify to his love of hunting. In addition to being a long-time member on a West Texas lease, Bob has acquired some magnificent trophies from two hunts in Africa along with multiple bird hunts in the U.S. and Mexico.

Heidi, on the other hand, has joined a very active group of women who like to exercise and bring their partners and spouses along for fun group activities.

“We ended up buying our lot from one of these women. We were told she had this property available so we went to see it with Vance, our realtor, after we chose our builder, Garner Homes. We fell in love with its beauty and ended up buying it and building on it. After we moved in, I met her best friend, Jane, on our street and she said I had to meet Laura, who had originally owned the property. It’s just a small world. Now, we go to classes at the gym together, have dinner club, do girls’ trips and other fun events,” said Heidi.

As a retired couple, staying active and physically fit is something that Bob and Heidi enjoy doing together, or on their own. They like to take advantage of all of the opportunities at Cordillera Ranch, from working out at the gym to kayaking, all the shooting sports, horseback riding when friends are in town, dove hunting excursions through the Outfitter Center and so much more. They also love to hike and go for walks around the Ranch’s extensive trail system.

“We have several different routes we like to take, but one of our favorites is about a four-and-a-half-mile round trip from our home to the Guadalupe. It’s always enjoyable seeing what’s blooming or the wildlife that crosses our path and the beautiful homes we see when we walk down to the river area,” shared Heidi. “Cordillera has so many amenities you can experience here.”

“And never have to leave,” Bob said, finishing her sentence. “We marvel at the five-star lifestyle here, with so many amenities available to us. It’s a huge benefit.”

Another big asset of Cordillera Ranch for the couple, who claim to be “big foodies,” is access to exceptional food in the area, and they also love to experiment with cooking and barbecuing on the smoker.

“I think the restaurants are a huge plus when we have friends, family or my three grown children come visit because of the barbecue and Mexican flavors that people outside of Texas don’t get to experience,” said Heidi.

Although they often take visiting friends and family down to San Antonio for the River Walk and the Historic Pearl Brewery, or hop over to Luckenbach or Fredericksburg for shopping and wine tastings, they also appreciate the quality and convenience of the Club’s culinary offerings.

“We eat there probably once a week, whether it’s with friends we see or sitting at the bar in Twin Sisters visiting with the people who work there, who have become friends. It’s nice, casual and comfortable, and the food is wonderful. They have musicians coming in now on Friday nights that we also enjoy,” said Bob.

Something most people don’t know about Bob and Heidi is that they’re not married. “It’s the biggest shocker when people find out. We’re your modern-day couple,” said Heidi. “And actually, Bob and I do have a fur baby together. He’s about two years old and 10 pounds — lovely Koda. He’s a Shih Tzu.”

In the end, according to Bob and Heidi, it’s the experiences that
build a happy life and make a relationship work, and building it together at Cordillera Ranch is just the icing on the cake.

“It makes for two wonderful, happy people. Bob is one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever met,” smiled Heidi.

It doesn’t hurt that Bob still brings her flowers. He plans for that, too!