Weird white spider on a flower of a hasta plant in our backyard. Web research revealed that it is called a "crab spider" - see http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/spiders/Misumena%20vatia.htm
Update: June 27, 2004. The "crab spider" is Xysticus Gulosus ("Spiders" by Ken Preston-Mafham, p. 70) while my spider is a common flower spider (idid. p. 72)
The brown spider showed up on our screen door to the back patio. I have no idea what it is, but it was a biggie: almost 2 inches tip to toe.