The first shot has really neat colors that do nicely with the effect, washing into the image and creating a serene scene. I do find the leaves in the foreground a bit distracting, possibly because they're on the thirds of the photo. Hope to see you post more around here!
I find the leaves to be an interesting framing. I agree with Zack that they are somewhat distracting. By masking, you can decrease the effect of the filter and make them less so. The water texture is enhanced with the filter.
Selective filtering may also work on #2, having it more pronounced on the fur.
