While HDR is still a ways off for me, I'd agree there are a lot of images out there where people take it too far.  If done right, however, I think it has its place and can provide a means to overcome limitations of a camera sensors ability to capture wider ranges in tone.  Just my two cents... (and I haven't put a word of this to practice yet so I reserve the right to change my mind when i get to that bridge ).

Luckily, I bracketed everything I shot earlier today, so I was able to pull some more color from the sky out of a darker image.  I also tried the crop you suggested Ken.  I use Photoshop CS3 for post-processing.  I generally have about the same process for most of my pics (RAW file very slight adjustments, then some sharpening, exposure adjustments, maybe shadows/highlights, a little brightening and some contrast, then I mess with curves a little; I will use a little increase in saturation, both generally and for selected colors; sometimes, I'll play with the color balance, which can have some really great effects for shadows and highlights).  Anyway, here is the new one - Version 2 - vs. the original - Version 1 

P.S. I'm not totally ready to poo poo HDR stuff.  I don't really go for the heavily processed look, but I think it has some great commercial applications.  I also think sometimes people crank the dial to 11 when a 2 or 3 would do it.  I've seen some work where a person will state that a photo was actually 7 or 8 different exposures, and I would've had no idea if I wasn't told (just thought it was a really amazing exposure where everything was sharp and properly exposed:).

 Aaron,  Lovely photo.  I love reflections and evening light.  I like the way you placed the rock in the foreground.  Invites me to step in and sit down and enjoy the light.

Your version 2 of the photo approximated the suggestions I was going to make.  The sky has a little bit more color - a pleasing effect.  And the reflections in the water look more pleasing as well.

Did you use a polarizer on it?  Sometimes with the evening shots, the polarizer is too much for me and I cannot even see through the camera finder - even though I like what the polarizer can do.  And then sometimes, the polarizer is exactly what I need to get the scene.

Another suggestion:  Sometimes, I find I can have a very pleasing photo if I crop the sky out of the picture entirely.  It just depends on the light and the locale each time. 

Evening is probably my favorite time of the day to photograph.

Ken - right now I am using Photoshop Elements. I would like to upgrade to a higher level.  I also have Paint Shop Pro Photo X2.  I am still learing how to use these programs.  I used film cameras for most of my life.  I bought my first digital camera in 2008. I am still on the learning curve with digital and loving it.

Charles, have you ever tried Adobe Lightroom?  You can download the public beta for version 3 right now and use it until April before you have to make a committment.  I had been using Microsoft Expression Media for cataloging, but there was really no serious editing functionality.  I've only been using Lightroom for about a month (was working on the 30 day trial of 2.5 before the beta came out), but so far I'm hooked. Have a lot to learn yet and I'm sure there's still a need for Photoshop for the power users (HDR, panos, etc), but I'm not there yet.

I took the opportunity to go out and shoot over the beautiful weekend we had here in Wisconsin and tried to apply some of your and Aaron's advice.   Here are a few examples:

 http://kenschram.zenfolio.com/p888323661/h1cd2e5ee#h1cd2e5ee

The leaf in the lower left was a "plant" by me (i put it there) and I also splashed the rock it's sitting on so it was dark and reflective rather than dry and dull.

Here's my best attempt at getting low - lying on my stomach with my camera 2 inches above the rock shelf in fact. http://kenschram.zenfolio.com/p888323661/h1cd2e5ee#h3beb0a2

I pushed myself to the edge of my comfort level on a few of the others in that collection by wedging my tripod legs between rocks to hold my camera just inches over the water while I contorted to see through the viewfinder.  All in all, I think it paid off.  I was never in any danger, but I made sure to think twice and move slow for the safety of my camera .

Hope you enjoy.

Ken