Thank you for the compliments!
thomasfolkeandersen -I don't know the first thing about shooting in RAW, so I've never even tried it. So for now, I shoot JPG only. I'm a total amateur and have just begun shooting in the Program mode vs. auto...lol. ....(hence the D40. I heard it was the easiest DSLR to learn).
As far a composition goes... I don't remember if there was a specific reason why I didn't include more grass.(I took 300 photos that day, and this one was close to the beginning) I'm still experimenting with techniques & style. This was a family outing, so my kids may have been rushing me as well.
After rethinking this shot, I do think it would benefit from toning back a bit. Thank you for the constructive criticism!
I have many more shots from this day that I will be adding to Flikr as soon as I'm finished with them.