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Yellow school buses are a part of the weekday landscape in every city and town across the country nine months out of the year. We watch them drive by, on their way to pick up or safely deliver their student cargo, morning and afternoon.

Once our own children arrive at school and home in a timely manner, thoughts of the bus trip usually end.

Unless you are not only a parent, but a bus driver, like Dena Delcastillo.

Now in her fifth year driving for Hunt's Transportation in the Chisago Lakes School District, Delcastillo is thinking about the first bus ride of each work day long before students are usually out of bed, and ends her day more than 11 hours later, when Bus M is parked back in the bus garage.

Delcastillo has been driving school bus for 10 years. She used to have a desk job, sitting in front of a computer, she said, but it's much more enjoyable getting to know the students and people in the community as a bus driver.

Something she is able to do during the 140+ miles Delcastillo drives each day, covering routes that take her from Scandia to Center City to the northern border of Chisago City.

Delcastillo's work day starts around 6 a.m., arriving in the dark at the Hunt's bus garage in Lindstrom. After punching in, she heads out to the buses. Bus M is parked where she left it the day before. She starts by filling out a daily pre-trip form, where she records her mileage and double-checks on any maintenance completed on the bus.

She then moves down the aisles, checking the floor and seats for anything left behind, closing windows and opening the back door.

Once outside, she walks around the bus, completing a safety check.

"I look underneath to make sure nothing is hanging down or it isn't leaking oil, I check the tire tread," Delcastillo said.

All lights and signals are checked, and when Delcastillo is satisfied the bus is road-worthy, she sets out at precisely 6:23 a.m. Many days, it's still dark out, but Delcastillo's bus isn't the first one to leave.

"I'm one of the lucky ones, I leave late," she said. "Other drivers leave just after 6 a.m."

She heads to County Road 14 and to stops north, where the first rider of the day - Megan - waits in her driveway. Delcastillo wears a bright smile and greets her with "Good morning, Megan," as the girl smiles back.

As Megan settles in the first seat, Delcastillo heads through the neighborhood, picking up more middle school and high school students who usually look like they'd rather still be in bed.

Still, Delcastillo greets every one with a smile and a good morning, hoping it brightens their day. It doesn't bother her that some don't lift their heads to acknowledge the greeting, or meekly mumble the word "morning" as they shuffle by.

"A lot of times, I'm the first adult they see each day, so I want to be pleasant," Delcastillo said. "I didn't want to go to school, either, so at least I want them to know their bus ride is going to be OK."

She knows each of the 75 or so students on the route by name, asking some about their after-school classes, inquiring why others didn't bring their musical instruments, and solicitously asking if others feel better after being home sick from school.

There are no assigned seats on Delcastillo's bus, and the middle school and high school student's talking is barely at a whisper during the morning ride.

"We don't have assigned seats because I want to save that for any problems, but I've never had to do that," Delcastillo said.

She cautions that the afternoon rides can get pretty noisy, when the kids are actually awake and have things about their day to talk about.

The bus makes its way around the north part of Chisago City. As Delcastillo drives to pick up students off of Country Road 77, she hears another bus driver report that horses are loose on Lofton Ave. and laughs.

"It's neat out here, because we see flocks of wild turkey and deer," she said. "Closer to Taylors Falls, they'll have the occasional cow to deal with."

As the seats fill up, Delcastillo asks students in the back if the bus is too hot. The next stop usually has two kids, so when only one gets on, she asks about the second one. He soon turns up at his friend's house next door.

Delcastillo is unphased as she opens the door to let the group on the bus.

"In the morning it's easier - if they're out there, I'll pick them up and drive them to school, but in the afternoon, they have to be dropped at their own stop."

Even when kids forget to stay in their seats, the reminder to sit down comes with "please" and "thank you" from Delcastillo. She turns her attention back to Megan, now sharing the front seat with two friends, and asks the budding artist what she's been drawing lately. Later, before the ride home starts, Megan proudly shows her drawings to Delcastillo.

At 7:16 a.m., Bus M drops off students at Chisago Lakes High School, followed by dropping off at 7:24 a.m. at Chisago Lakes Middle School. Each student leaves the bus hearing Delcastillo's voice telling them goodbye and to have a good day.

Once the bus is empty, it's time to fill it up again, this time with elementary kids. She first walks the aisles again, to make sure the older kids didn't leave anything behind.

Delcastillo said there are more parents at the elementary bus stops, and she's grateful that they call the bus garage when their student isn't riding.

"It's really helpful when they call, especially if they are the only stop on a street. Some drivers hand out a card, asking parents to call the bus garage if their student isn't riding," she said.

As before, students are greeted by name, but most are more enthusiastic getting on the bus than their older counterparts.

Along the way, the younger crew needs a few more reminders to sit down and keep their hands to themselves, but are generally quiet and well-behaved.

Just before 8:45 a.m., Lakeside kids are reminded on this chilly morning to grab their hats and gloves as they leave the bus. Delcastillo checks to see if another student has picked up their ice pack, forgotten the day before, as well as a forgotten sweatshirt.

With the phrase, "Okay, Primary, let's sit down," Delcastillo heads to the elementary school. At 8:51 a.m., all students have been delivered to school, and Delcastillo is ready for her morning break.

Since she is one of the district's kindergarten drivers, Delcastillo has until 11:15 before she is back on the road. She lives close to the Primary School, so Delcastillo typically drives the bus home for her break.

She appreciates having time during her day to go home.

"I have two kids, so it's a chance to catch up - put in a load of laundry, or get groceries," she said.

"It can be a long day, because you're basically on the clock 11 hours, even though you're paid for eight," Delcastillo added. "But I love the flexibility, and I love the kids."

Delcastillo also enjoys getting to know parents and other people in the community, and knowing she's left a lasting impression on kids who will always know her as "their" bus driver.

At 11:20 a.m., her kindergarten route begins. The bus covers several miles to pick up a dozen or so five- and six-year-olds on their way to afternoon classes at the Primary School. Delcastillo's route also includes picking up two preschoolers heading to that program at the school.

Perhaps it's the time of day, or their ages, but it's the first group of students who are particularly curious about a newspaper reporter riding in the front seat of their bus.

The kids excitedly tell Delcastillo to turn off Old Towne Rd. at their school, and high-five Grandma Del on their way into the building.

At about 1:05 p.m., Delcastillo's second break of the day starts, but it's just long enough to head home and have lunch.

An hour later, Bus M is rolling again, back to the middle school to pick kids up and take them home.

A high schooler asks to get dropped off at his mowing job, instead of home. Delcastillo has to say sorry, no to the request, but said unless there's a note from school, she can't drop them off anywhere other than their regular stop.

The secondary students are a bit more lively, as predicted, but still keep the noise level down to a tolerable level on the ride home. Delcastillo knows she has a good group of students this year, on both bus routes, and likes to think part of the reason is her bond with the kids.

"We have a mutual respect for each other," Delcastillo said. "I've learned it's important as a bus driver to show them respect, listen to them and understand what they're feeling," she said.

The last high schooler departs at 3:12 p.m., then its back to Lakeside and Primary.

At Lakeside, Delcastillo stretches her legs, talks with staff and other bus drivers and gets hugs from her two kids, as they head out for their own bus ride home. When they were little the kids rode with Delcastillo, but as they get older, they are less enthusiastic about getting on mom's bus, Delcastillo said.

The last elementary kid hops off at 4:35 p.m., and Delcastillo makes her way back to the bus garage. Bus M is parked in the third row, last bus, once again, at nearly 5 p.m. Before her day is done, Delcastillo makes another check of seats, windows and aisles.

"I make sure everything's off the bus and it's not too destroyed," she said.

The floor is usually swept between routes, so that chore is done. By the time she punches out at the time clock inside, it's after 5 p.m. and Delcastillo heads for home. Ready for a break from driving, but knowing the evening could very well include errands and transporting kids once again.

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