A neighbor was about to swat this spider when I caught it in my cupped hands and relocated it to my herb garden. The neighboe thought I was nuts but within a few hours she had her web up and an "Open for Business" sign out.
None of the orb weavers found in the Us are poisonous. As kids we called them cobweb spiders because of the shape of the web. What's fun is to get a web across your face when you're walking down a path at night. Especially if the spider is still in it.
Orb spiders are always welcomed at my house I have one that looks similar in the front garden bed. She is a little more orange though. I told her to get busy because I was going to make her help me decorate for halloween!
Excellent save! My all time favorite spider. When I was little my dad showed us to gently toss a grasshopper into the web. It would quickly spin it up. I can't wait until I can show my kids that trick, it's sooooo neat to watch.