These spiders are a common sight around our Tennessee home -- both indoors and outside.

At least it's not the poisonous Brown Recluse spider!

UPDATE: According to a FunTimesGuide reader (Neil C.): "This is a type of wood wolf spider, not a brown spider. This type is not poisonous, and actually make good pets. They are a major benefit to out ecology, and we need them... They are the good bugs."

... Thanks, Neil!

ANOTHER UPDATE:Kendall Huddleston adds the following:
"The image of the brown spider perched in the corner is the most common seen wolf spider. If they are fast, take off across the floor at high speed and have brown and black racing stripes down the lenght of thier body, they are harmless. They stalk and kill thier prey with large powerful fangs and practically no poison. They do not produce webs but may run a single strand a distance as a feeling line. They can see extremely well and use sight and stalking as thier primary hunting method. They can get very large, the 'big mommas' up to five inches and can live a long time, over ten years. They are partial hibernators and are the ones seen running across the snow on sunny winter days. Neil C. is right, they make good pets and will get docile and not try to bite you after you handle them for awhile. I have literally forced thousands of these critters to bite me since I was a kid with no harm other than the powerful pin pricks. But Neil, they are Arachnids, closer relatives to the crayfish, crabs and lobsters. Far distant from 'bugs' or insects."