HDR-like effect?

[Toeknee]

Greetings! I don't have HDR software or even Photoshop. I'm using PhotoScape and have come up with an effect that I think looks very HDR-like. Maybe a poor mans HDR? I took the darker of three bracketed shots and used the Pictorialization - Pencil filter which outlined the image then I added the color back in. I then blended the lighter of the three shots into the first one and boosted the contrast a bit. Voila! Looking for comments on composition and what you think of the HDR effect...THANKS! (bigger image shows better)

[Krusty79]

That's a good shot. I like the composition with the car visible down the road. I also like that is doesn't look like the overly processed HDR. However, the image has a grainy quality - not sure if that is because of your exposure blending or ISO setting or what (you're supposed to post your exif data). I would also consider cloning out the white stakes on either side of the road, as I find them distracting.