This is the variety of spider that makes life in Ferndale so difficult this time of year. I wish I knew what they were, not because I’m worried they’re poisonous, but if I knew their name, I could curse at them properly. There are so many of them making huge webs that you can’t walk through a door, or between anything without first having to brush webs out of your way. They’ve even started taking over the inside of the garage. Outside if you leave an item in the yard and come back to it an hour later, you will find that the discarded item has been confiscated by a new tenant. Right now it’s just Lori and I and one praying mantis doing battle against them. I need to call for backups.

Update 9/27/2007: The Eureka Reporter had an article about these spiders today, and they are appropriately named Pumpkin Spiders, not because they look like pumpkins but because of the time of year that they become so prevalent.