ebwy - Lucky you! We just had the 4th worst winter in recorded history with the amount of snow we got! Very few days in the winter time!
As far as how you get started, depends on how much room you have, how much you want to spend, and tree location are the main things. The poles I used are 3 inch square steel, (They look like this = T ) 5 1/2 feet high with the vertical post being thicker steel than the the top which is 6 ft across. THe poles are spaced 30 ft apart, with 3 lines. This was done at my local welding shop for around $175 and will last forever. We save, on average $20-30 a month on our electric bill and use during the three warmer seasons and occasionally during the winter when possible.