Spring arrived at Hilltop Castle with an energy we haven't felt in years. After a long New England winter, the warming air and longer days have pulled us both inside and out, clearing spaces that have waited patiently for their moment. ## Opening the Castle The most remarkable moment this month came when John and his crew cleared the main entrance foyer and grand stairway—areas that had accumulated perhaps the heaviest debris on the entire first floor. The work was painstaking, but worth every hour: for the first time in years, the castle's front doors swung open. There's something profound about a building breathing again, about light streaming through an entrance that has been sealed away from the world.

The billiard room was among the last formal spaces on the first floor to receive attention. Like the others, it had become a repository for debris, but its location off the main foyer made the work easier—no stairs to navigate with bags of refuse. Family members joined the effort, proving the old wisdom about many hands making light work. ## The Grounds Awaken Outside, the castle is remembering what it means to be a proper estate. Four years of neglect had left the lawns wild, scattered with fallen branches and overgrown beyond recognition. A crew spent an entire Saturday cutting and clearing, followed by Lawn Doctor's fertilization and pre-emergent weed treatment.

John took advantage of a particularly beautiful day to give the grounds their first proper mowing of the season. Fifteen bags of clippings later, the transformation was complete. It's hard to stay focused on interior work when spring calls so insistently from outside.

What's Ahead

With the main entrance cleared and functional, we're looking toward continuing the interior restoration work while the growing season allows us to make real progress on the landscape. The lawn treatment should show results in the coming weeks—it will be telling to see how the grounds respond after their long dormancy. The castle feels different now, more awake somehow, with its doors open and its grounds tended. Spring suits this place well.

-- The Keepers of Hilltop Castle