This thing has a huge, elaborate web in one of my flower beds.
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These large (up to 3 inches long), brightly colored orb weavers are common garden spiders, often called “writing spiders” because of the zigzag pattern they create in their webs. I’ve heard lots of interesting folklore about these spiders. When I was a kid, I remember hearing that if you looked too closely at one of these spiders and it looked back at you, it would write your name in it’s web.. of course after that, you were doomed. The same would happen if this spider heard your name spoken. While taking these photographs, I was very careful to stay out of her line of sight, and I certainly didn’t speak any names. ;-)
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Side view, spider and web zigzag pattern, a doomed bumblebee
