On June 30, 2018, Jack Thompson, far right, and four of his 2018 Valley High baseball team buddies helped Brian Thompson move the bear out of the garage and position him on the rocky hillside.
Brian and Jill Thompson have fully committed to caring for the bear and sharing him with the Lake Panorama community.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Lake Panorama boaters have long enjoyed a bear sculpture on the right as they travel toward the main basin. But this isn’t just any bear. It’s the Peeing Bear.
Brian and Jill Thompson are shown with the bear that came with the property they purchased in 2018. After significant restoration and upgrades this year, the Peeing Bear is once again entertaining the Lake Panorama community.
Sometime later, the owner and a neighbor dreamed up the idea of placing a pump in the lake to run a steady water stream through a garden hose strategically attached to the bear. Behold, the Peeing Bear.
The second owners of the log cabin decided the bear would be better off in the garage.
In early 2018, Brian and Jill Thompson started looking at Lake Panorama property.
“When I told some friends about the location we were considering, they said that was the Peeing Bear cabin. I bet there is a bear in the garage,” Brian says. “When we made an offer, the bear in the garage was included in the sales contract.”
In June 2018, Brian, the couple’s son and four of his baseball team members moved the bear from the garage back to the rocky hillside. Soon after, the log cabin was torn down, and a new home was built. The bear was put back into storage during the construction.
The couple started to get questions. “Will the bear be back after your house is done?” And “If so, will he be peeing?”
“We kept reassuring people he would be back,” Brian says. “At first, we told our friends if he was peeing, it meant we were home and they should stop in. Then we would see people boating past who were disappointed the bear wasn’t peeing. We decided the bear really belongs to the lake.”
The Peeing Bear recently saw a “urologist,” who recommended replacing the garden hose with a 1-inch-diameter pipe. Now the bear’s water stream arches out over the rocky hillside and lands 20 feet away in Lake Panorama.
In 2022, the Thompsons were planning a get-together for friends and family. Jill’s sister suggested they throw a party in honor of their bear, and the event was named BearFest. The party included live music from the family’s dock and a chance for the lake community to celebrate the beloved landmark.
This spring, the bear was showing serious signs of aging after so many years standing on rocks in the outdoors. Brian dabbles in woodworking and decided to restore the bear.
“We didn’t want to get a new one; that just wouldn’t be the same,” he says. “We strapped him down in the bed of my truck, and I took him to my workshop. He was pretty well rotted out. I cut him a new base. Then I used duct tape, spray foam and wood filler to fix his torso and limbs. I sanded everything down and sprayed him with seven layers of lacquer to finish him off.”
The bear was gone for about four weeks from early May into early June before he returned to his spot on the hill.
While he was gone, a small wooden bear the couple purchased on a trip to New Mexico stood in the big bear’s spot. Once again, the questions started.
“What happened to the Peeing Bear?” “Is this baby bear, who isn’t peeing, supposed to be the replacement?”
“We’ve been telling people he spent a couple of weeks at the Paw Spa and came back in much better shape,” Brian says. “He also saw a urologist and is peeing a much stronger stream.”
Instead of a garden hose, the bear now has a 1-inch-diameter pipe. A new pump on a timer starts the daily action at 10 a.m. and shuts off at 10 p.m. Lights have been added to the area so the bear can be seen after sunset.
The water stream now arches out over the rocky hillside and lands in the lake 20 feet away. In earlier days, the stream landed on the rocks below.
“Who needs a water feature at their home when you have a peeing bear?” Jill Thompson jokes. “Honestly, we get a lot of enjoyment out of carrying on this tradition we inherited. We see lots of slow-moving boats go by and people taking pictures. My favorite is hearing the little kids giggling when they see what the bear is doing.”
On June 27, a second BearFest was held. It again featured live music for Thompsons’ house guests and those who came by boat. At the center of it all was the Peeing Bear, happy to be back, better than ever.