"It was like trying to keep sand from running through my fingers," Ms. Mallin recalled.
"Each hotel has its own idea of how to keep sand in front of its property," explained Merediz.
This pit viper (subfamily Crotalinae) has small horns above each eye, possibly to keep sand from covering the eyes when the snake is buried.
Recently, the students added stronger motors and a new carbon fiber case to keep sand and dust out of the operational parts, Anderson explained.
In the early 20th century, towns often constructed groins -- long, rocky piers into the ocean -- to divert sand to their beaches or to keep sand from washing away.
In the restaurant kitchen, Sergio has already wrapped the ingredients tight in layers of plastic, foil and cloth to keep sand out and aromas in.
There are tricks to the trade: Mr. Seidel donned safety glasses on the beach to help keep sand out of his eyes, and positioned himself almost as low as a football linebacker to stop from being blown over.
Boardwalks, which were built to keep sand on the beach, became popular promenades (they were called "flirtation walks") and promoted ever more elaborate amusements, restaurants, and games of chance, culminating in the high-rise hotels (now casinos) in Atlantic City.
It was originally built in 1870, not to provide a place for summer strolls, but as a way to keep sand from blowing up to and into the city's resort hotels.
Insect repellents, such as dimethyl phthalate, when applied to exposed skin, will keep sand flies away for a few hours, but the use of insecticide sprays on verandas, on screens, around doors and windows, and within habitations will readily kill all adult sand flies that alight on the sprayed surfaces.
