CLOSED: big spider in my garden

Hi I am wondering if anyone can identify this big boy he is in my garden and has a web that has a zigzag pattern in it
thanks

The markings and web behavior are familiar with the garden spider Argiope aurantia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia

Also, known as the writing spider. They're beautiful spiders.

sayward1 the link you attached sounds just like my spider, she is really a beautiful spider . I was weeding the area she was living in and must have disturbed her before I noticed her . I noticed the web was bouncing back and forth I didn't realize right away that she was bouncing it with her rear legs . I am not sure if she was warning me that her web was there or if she was working on a bug that she had insnared . I think spiders are good luck in the garden so I will try to accomidate her and not weed that part of the garden to much! thanks
laura

kwanjin I can see why they are also known as "the writing spider " and you are right they are beautiful : ) Isn't nature amazing?

I have one more question when I was reading the wikipedia description I didn't know if the measurement was for the body or for the spider from end to end including legs ? she is at least 3 1/2 inches from end to end and I bet her body is more than and inch long and 3/4 inch wide it seems bigger and she is definetly brown and yellow not black and yellow . from the behavior and the location ect it does seem like it is the "writing spider" but how much variation is ther with in a species?

Yes, they bounce in their webs to ward off intruders, but they're actually big cowards: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/216/

There's some variation, but she may well be a 'cousin'. We have a resident spider expert who should be around before long. Perhaps he can let us know whether she is a variant or a different spider all together..

This is indeed Argiope aurantia; like many other spiders, members of this species can show considerable individual variation in color pattern. See http://tinyurl.com/2gxhj7d for some examples.

wow suunto thats a lot of images! thank you . this must be the same kind of spider as Charlotte of "charlotte's web " fame
I guess this thread is closed thanks everyone for you help and interest
laura

No, she's not Charlotte, although her web markings may have helped inspire the story. Charlotte was an Araneus cavaticus, a barn spider. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_spider

now that you mentioned the name I vaguely remember charlotte telling wilbur that she was a Araneus cavaticus : )