Insect and Spider Identification: Spider advice needed!, 4 by SheilaReally

SheilaReally wrote:
I scared her so I didn't get her at her best angle, but here she is. In the photo showing the fence, there's a tiny white thing that is right at the center of her web, right by where she typically stations herself. Is that an egg casing? I want to be sure I don't separate her from her babies during my brief kidnapping tomorrow. Would a rake work to lift the web? I don't have anything that has a ton of distance between the tines, like a hay fork or anything.