What a difference a breeze makes

Today we had our breakfast on the deck outside. We always have a candle at every meal, not just for din-din, and we normally eat inside the house. The green candles we buy in bulk at the West Sacramento IKEA store are very tidy, never dripping melted wax down their sides. Outdoors, however, is an unruly place when it comes to air movement, and even a slight breeze can make a candle go crazy.

As I figure it, our candles’ two colors of wax have different melt temperatures; the outer (colored) wax melts at a higher temperature. So the inner wax has two things going for its melting first—it’s closer to the wick, and it’s softer. The outer wax, being further from the wick, stays cool and finally melts because it’s in contact with the inner wax’s transmitted heat.

Is this getting too fussy and probably boring to you? If so, you can stop reading right here.