we had a golden orb weaver (banana spider) in our yard last year and I thought something had killed it because it was hanging upside down all squishy and not moving. 10 mins later she was all hardened up and moving around. it was very spooky. i did a google search, the last pic is exactly what it looked like.
Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Nephila edulis)
Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Nephila edulis)