Insect and Spider Identification: CLOSED: Orb Spider? What kind? , 1 by Leeney4

Leeney4 wrote:
Saw this beauty and just had to know what it was. It loves to make a web between our pool equipment and a nearby bush - not the best of locations for a lasting web. Do you know too if they re-use the web or do they make a new one daily? I try not to disturb the web if I don't have to but it gets tricky to maneuver sometimes. I took both overhead and underside photos and had to use a pink background for one. In some photos you can see the legs look particularly "hairy" and jointed. It was probably about the size of my thumb and we live in So. California. Thanks!