Bill, I like what you did with the sky in #1, ver. 2.0. You got the subtle pastels in the sky out, and even in the hill.
I think you cropped the image unnecessarily and lost a sense of depth along the way. There is nothing objectionable in that lower left corner. The dark stone there serves as the stepping stone (pardon the pun) and balances the similarly colored hill.
I also think you over did the orange grass. Keep it slightly duller and darker (than in v.2.0) and it will not compete for attention from "the stream leading the eye," as you rightly noticed.