I absolutely despise spiders, so it took everything I had to climb up on a step stool and get in close enough to take this photo (even with a 200 mm zoom lens). Anyone know what kind of spider this is?
Day 238: Charlotte’s Web
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Photographic Rhodes 
I thinks this is some type of orb weaving spider. They typically lie in wait in their elaborate webs perched outside somewhere in the high corners of a porch, or deck or something. I was in NH recently and took a bunch of pics of some very similar looking spiders and like you, it was a challenge for me to get that close, especially using a 60mm macro lens (and yes, I too was on a stool). I still get that heebee-jeebee chill down my back when I visualize how close I was to these monsters. Especially when I saw a fly land in the web. That fly was wrapped up doggie-bag style in a matter of seconds, and hoisted up to the spidey-pantry for tomorrow’s lunch. It was actually kind of unbelievable to watch. What stealth killing machines they are. In fact, a large grasshopper landed in the web just a few minutes later and I quickly got a long stick and broke the web to rescue him. Poor guy still lost one of his large jumping legs to the sticky web of hell, but I still think it was better than being eaten bit-by-bit by that spider. Of course, now I’m worried that I’ve disturbed my arachna-karma. Uhhhhaaaaa! Here’s some of the pics: http://kerirusso.smugmug.com/Nature/Spiders/13279326_drFFnr#964719313_6cm33