>> strange little saucers appeared on my telephone poles a few months ago.. Post a picture
http://s13.postimg.org/7e04u78cn/IMG_0414.jpg
Er, dude, those are glass insulators from the 50's or 40's or maybe even earlier. It looks like that pole is disintegrating starting at the top from weather, and they added a little short shaft to support the insulator, so it might not be on all poles. And it is quite likely the ground wire, as the next wire down--the one wrapped in a twisted pair--is the actual high voltage one.