While I can't compare to the lube meister with his close up captured photos of spiders...I've had some issues here and there with some fairly large spiders in my yard.
Man I wish I was infested with Lizards. Lizards I can handle - spiders gross me and the wife out.
Anyway, this one was in my yard this morning (Wife told me about the web yesterday evening).
Unfortunately the photo is rather blurry but it's the best I could do. I sprayed some chemicals on it and it fell to the ground never to be seen again. I wanted to capture it and ID it. This is the second one of this size that I have found in a week in about the same area. Not really sure what to do about it - my main concern is if they are actually dangerous or not. Right below the picture is my kid's play set. The web is about 3 feet in diameter and the spider was about the diameter of a 50 cent piece (legs included, not just the body).
I've done a little research on the net and it may be an "orb spider" but I'm not sure and without a better picture of one I can't expect a good solid ID - or an answer to the danger question.
I thought I had these guys licked...I had trimmed a lot of vegetation back which seemed to be keeping them down to a manageable size and keeping them relatively out of site. Seems like when ever I think that however september comes around and there they are again!
AH! I got the willies!