Large Spiders

This week has been absurd in some ways... one of them being my extra-large spider sightings. On Halloween, I nearly ran into a spider with a body the size of a quarter, sitting on a strand of web between two trees over the sidewalk.  I told the owner of the house on the corner that he didn't need Halloween decorations - the spider was frightening enough. Moreover, it was there when I left in the morning and when I returned a couple hours later, and in the evening when I set out for school, it was still in the same spot! I considered that abnormal behavior for such a large spider.  Then, a few days ago at school as I was walking along the West Walkway, a large orange-colored spider descended from a tree right in front of my eyes. I stared up in disbelief and wonder at the round little body dangling in the air inches from my nose. Then I pulled out my cell phone and snapped a picture. I can't share it here, but just know that it was comparable in size to the first spider. This orange fellow, however, was missing his back left leg (as you all know, arachnids have eight legs), but it wasn't slowing him down as much as his huge abdomen, in my opinion. I knelt on the ground next to him when he touched down, and followed his progress for a few minutes as other people walked by, oblivious to the little wonder scrambling across the cement at their feet. Only one man stopped, seeing me there watching the little fellow, and asked if it were a spider. I answered affirmatively, and he looked askance at me, then continued on his way.
To explain a bit, I am not accustomed to stopping and taking the time to observe spiders on a daily basis. I wouldn't even say that I like spiders; in fact, my sister ordered me to kill countless little arachnids when we were growing up, but those were usually the Daddy Long-Legs variety or some other harmless tiny sort of spider.  These big guys, well - I wasn't immediately thinking about squashing them. They actually really fascinate me - the two I met this week didn't appear to be poisonous, either.  Spiders can be seen as beautiful, though they frighten many people. You can probably tell where I fall when it comes to spiders: curiosity wins out over the possible danger.
I wonder how many other little specimens I'll meet in the coming week. Perhaps I attract them somehow - or is it vice versa?
Either way, life is too short to die. Onward and upward!