Sheets flapping in the breeze, reaching out for the sun; beach towels colorfully absorbing the fresh air until the next swim – on the clothesline, they add harmony to the backyard as summer plays out.

One customer of Joseph Shields’ Shore Cut Lawns asked him to replace an old clothesline pole at the end of last season, and that became an idea: “I couldn’t find anything worthwhile, so I wound up making one.” Wooden clothesline poles are becoming an emerging niche in his business.